Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3
by TheFraserFir
Summary: A perplexing message of hidden importance, a galaxy spanning quest, and an unknown enemy plotting their downfall. Will this be the mission that finally breaks their fragile bonds of family? Or can our heroes overcome this latest challenge? Read and find out! Awesome Mix Vol. 3 included. CHAPTER 5 UPDATE: It's a hunt across Xandar! Will the Guardians be in time for a fallen friend?
1. A New Storm

Author's Note: If interested please read Bio, two small continuity changes that are important to the story are outlined there. Also **music features heavily** in this chapter and subsequent ones, each time an **Awesome Mix Vol. 3** pops up in the text play the corresponding song, all can be found on YouTube, and listen to it **while continuing to read** the chapter. Oftentimes songs are referenced or take place within the text's narrative so I highly recommend listening to the music. Anyways, enjoy the story!

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Chapter 1

A cold moon hangs over the sandy dunes of the planet Azbach, bleaching the desert world with the soft pale light of its neighboring star and bringing to life endless wavy shadows cast from the formless and endless dunes. It brings a sharp and natural contrast that would seem almost beautiful to the eye if there was any life to see it, other than a few nameless crawling things. Extreme temperatures during the day and even more extremes during it's frigid nights makes life on the surface almost impossible and visitation ludicrous. Which is why, to any interested observers, it would seem highly unusual that the planet has suddenly gained a dozen well-armed visitors…

The prospective visitors descend from the loading bay of their ship onto the sandy surface below. One takes a few steps in front of the others, looks around, and then offers the endless sand a spit. "This planet is one hell of a shithole, it's cold enough to freeze mercury and if that sandstorm we saw from orbit is any indication this place will somehow become even worse when the sun rises if we don't get out of here within an hour."

The leader of the band, dressed in formidable blue and black armor, steps down off the ship and gives a withering glare at the speaker "Which is why we're not here on vacation, or to water the sand you dumb idiot" when the man spits at the sand again. "This is business, so I recommend the lot of you fan out and secure the location before our buyer gets here."

All except the spitter fan out and begin moving away from the ship, he however, remains planted. "What's to secure" says the man with another inglorious spit, "ain't nothing living on this planet except for sand and a few rabid animals."

"You got some problem with the plan I've laid out" says the leader, lowering a hand towards his holstered weapon, "because if you do, say your piece, and then maybe I'll make you a permeant attraction of this forsaken planet. Ships will then have a reason to stop by, to gawk at a useless dead idiot." They stand facing off for a few moments, all others in the party standing still to watch the brawl, but it never comes as the spitter shrugs his shoulders and walks away to begin his patrol, muttering under his breath "go observe some sand over here, go observe some sand over there."

The armor-clad leader removes his hand from his weapon and sighs, "goddam mercenaries, can't live with them, can't conduct illegal business without them." He pulls out a data pad and checks the universal clock, "15 minutes eta for the buyer, then I offload the package, make a cool 10 million units, and retire to a planet where sand is just for beaches and the hired help is much more pleasing on the eyes."

Looking over his shoulder into the loading bay of his ship he sees the package still contained in its small box of ornate silver and gold. The box alone must be worth a few hundred thousand units he thinks, and on any other buyer he would have kept it and claimed it was destroyed or lost in the heist, but screwing over _this_ buyer was not a plan for long life expectancy. Besides, he was about to become wealthy, and a few hundred thousand units was not worth his head being rudely detached from his body.

Just as he is beginning to turn away a small black shape, hidden in shadow under the pale moonlight, seems to appear below his ship before quickly ducking away. Just seeing this out of the corner of his eye in the dim light he slowly turns around before walking hesitantly toward the side of his ship before quickly crouching with his gun drawn, prepared to fire. Nothing greets him except the underside of his ship and sand, shadowed in the moonlight. "Stupid, the stakes are making you jumpy" he says to himself before standing up and taking a few steps away. Suddenly stopping and spinning on his heel he dives and lands on his stomach with his gun drawn, but nothing greets him except mocking sand and the underside his well-worn starship. "Yeah, definitely stupid" he says, removing himself from the sand with a shake and returning to the loading bay with a reholstered weapon, and his pride mostly intact.

A few minutes pass until all the mercenaries return with nothing to report, except for as the spitter eloquently puts it, more sand. It is then only a short time after that when the transmission ping of a ship entering orbit reaches his data pad, and he can release a sigh of relief. "Maybe this deal will end up going off without complications, that'll be a first and last for me." He orders the rest of his band to take up defensive positions around the ship, but this doesn't go well. "Defend against what, I thought we were here for a deal not a fight" says the spitter, drawing an irritated look from the leader. "What is this your first job!? I'm really starting to question whether I really need twelve mercs or just eleven." Pinching the bridge of his nose he continues "Look, I don't expect trouble but that's why I have you all here, in case things go south."

"What's south of here?" asks another mercenary, large and imposing, cocking his head confusedly.

"Holy hell! Were you all raised by blunt objects or something? Just stand in a line on either side of the ship, and shoot if I tell you to shoot. Got it?" They all mutter approval and move into two lines next to the ship, except for the one mercenary who continues his vigil looking southwards. He ignores this as his buyer's ship chooses this moment to descend from the atmosphere and land a few hundred meters away, kicking up sand and grit. It is a beautiful ship he notices, clad in black and white with a sleek and elegant design, reminiscent of a predatory animal, but he has little time to take more of it in as promptly after landing three figures descend from the ship, two heavily armed bodyguards and one slender xandarian. They approach as the mercenary leader moves forward to meet them halfway between the two ships.

"Greetings" says the xandarian, bowing slightly in respect, "I hope that all went well with your operation and that our package is ready for delivery. I notice you decided to hire extra help to facilitate in the transfer, this was hardly necessary as we intend no trouble, but I do not begrudge you the extra surety."

"Well I wouldn't call them help, been more of a nuance so far, but I didn't hire them to ensure peaceful transfer as I have no doubt of your master's honest intentions" he says, returning the respectful bow. "I'm more concerned that our meeting is not interrupted by any interested third party, my heist was a big news getter and no doubt there are others searching me out."

"No doubt indeed" says the xandarian, casting a furtive glance around herself "Let us then conduct our business and be finished, all indications are that a sandstorm will soon engulf the area with the rising sun, which cannot be more than 15 minutes away."

"Let it be done then, I shall return to my ship and retrieve the package, shan't be more than a minute" he says, then turning, walks back to his ship. Lifting up the package inside the loading bay he takes one last moment to appreciate the ornate beauty of the object, shame that it will soon be added to some dusty collection he thinks, but then again, that is the sort of place it was when he "acquired" it. Leaving the loading bay, he glances at the mercenaries arrayed around his ship. Most seemed bored, the spitter is thankfully not doing what his namesake implies, and the biggest and most imposing of the bunch is no longer on his vigil facing south. Thinking that if a next time should arise he would spend more time vetting his merc bodyguards for incompetence, he makes his way back to the xandarian and her two bodyguards.

"Here you are milady, one ancient xandarian battle dagger liberated from deep within the vaults of their planetary history museum, still contained within its ceremonial box."

"Open the box please, so I may ensure proper transfer" says the xandarian, leaning in to observe the now opened box. Inside she sees, resting on a bed of strange translucent material just catching the early rays of sunshine, the ancient blade still pristine after a millennium of disuse, with a carved curved handle made almost entirely of a purple gemstone inlaid with ancient runes and symbols of power.

"Magnificent" says the xandarian, eyes wide with wonder and fascination.

"I agree" says the merc thief, now looking into the box with a new sense of reverence, "I haven't any idea about the actual history of the item, except that the security around the object was enough to make me sure it was highly valuable… and very _unique_."

At these last words, the xandarian's eyes snap up from the dagger to study the thief's face intently for a short moment, before taking a few steps back. "Yes, well I have now ensured that the item in question is indeed the item specified in your contract, I am prepared to transfer payment to your account now."

 **Awesome Mix Vol. 3** : Electric Light Orchestra - Tightrope

Closing the ornate box, he is about to give his approval for the transfer of credits when he notices the faint sounds of some sort of syth music, rising in volume, sending out an eerie tone all around them.

He looks back at the mercenaries, who are all looking around just as confused as he is, some turning almost in circles to determine the source of the mysterious broadcast as the music suddenly crescendos into cymbals. Whipping around, he is about to accuse the buyer of pulling some sort of elaborate musically themed trick, for it'd be just his luck to have this deal go against him set to some sort of strange harmonious tune, as now string instruments are playing as well, but the words catch in his throat as the xandarian is herself looking around with widening eyes.

"I know this, I was warned this might happen" she whispers, almost to herself.

"Then do you mind enlightening me, because I sure as shit don't know what the hell is going on" he says with rising panic in his voice as now some sort of high pitched string instrument is playing.

"Earth music, it's the calling card of a certain terran outlaw, although I thought he had taken up with others for a more reputable business, it seems he will be the third party to our deal."

"Well that's just fantastic" he says, unholstering his weapon, "I guess now we wait for him to reveal himself, or do you have any more useless information!?"

"No, except that he is known for his unorthodox strategies."

"Well this is certainly weird as shit, don't know what it's supposed to accomplish though" he says, as now a chorus of voices are calling out with the music, "actually that is a little perturbing" he adds as an afterthought.

Turning around to face his men he calls out "Alright boys, we have some company but that's why you're all here so no need to be alarmed. Weapons ready, and if anyone or anything shows itself, shoot it, and we'll ask questions later."

Caught between returning to his ship or staying with the xandarian, and all his money, he is interrupted as along with a guitar riff a voice suddenly booms out from what seems to be all around him.

"Attention A-holes, on behalf of… me and my friends, you are hereby required to lower all of your weapons to the ground, or sand area, and return the highly valuable thing to us, so that we may return it to its proper owners, the people that own it."

A few moments follow with nothing more said, until "what Gamora, stop looking at me like that, this is my first time making demands and I wanted to get the wording right… oh and to all of you, you have fifteen seconds to comply, so um, make it quick."

"I don't need fifteen seconds" the merc leader says, moving quickly back towards his ship. "How about you come out from wherever you're hiding and we settle this, because I do not have time to deal with amateurs."

"Hey" comes the voice again, this time sounding hurt, "I may not be a professional like your high and mighty self but I'm defiantly not an amateur, more of a semi-pro, with all of the knowledge and skill but none of the baggage. Although I do have the looks and physique of a, OW!, what was that for, oh right fifteen seconds is up, so I guess we'll just do this your way then, Rocket HIT IT!"

Suddenly, in an area all around his and the buyer's ship, small metallic objects rise out of the ground, unfurling into a wide sunflower shaped head. Before anyone has a chance to react a blinding blue light flashes out of each object and a sudden inversal of gravity lifts each person 10 feet in the air, spinning and twirling with whatever small momentum they had when gravity inverted.

"HA-HAAA! Now how's that for amateur hour!" says the voice, now almost giddy with glee. "Y'all just hold tight for a few, we'll be there soon."

Cursing to himself furiously while he spins in a slow pirouette, the merc leader looks for any sign of his captors when, over a farther dune, comes three figures silhouetted against the early rising sun. One of them is tall and humanoid shaped, wearing a red duster with two blasters attached at either hip. The second is judging by her green skin a Zen-Whoberi, which is probably just an illusion of the light and his constant spinning as there aren't any left of that race after the mad titan wiped them out. And the third is what appears to be a child with some sort of hair growing disease. The last one he decides must definitely be some sort of hallucination. The tall humanoid leads the other two towards him while all he can do is spin fruitlessly while giving the appropriate curse words.

As they approach, the leader calls out hopefully "any of you useless lot FIRE at these assholes!" All that accomplishes is several erratic shots, hitting nothing as all of his mercenaries are floating and spinning just as uselessly as he is.

The tall humanoid stops in front of him as the other two take up positions to the left and right with weapons drawn. Upon closer inspection, his earlier appraisal appears accurate, one is against all odds a Zen-Whoberi, while the other appears to be some sort of furry rodent, carrying an intimidatingly large rifle.

"Well" he says, trying to maintain eye contact while still spinning in the air "do my glorious captors have names or are we to skip those formalities."

The humanoid squares his shoulders and stands up a little straighter, as with a sly grin crossing his lips he says "sure thing, my name is Peter Quill, although you might know me better as… Star-Lord! Savior of the cosmos, hero extraordinaire, and leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. My two companions are Gamora, trained assassin and all around badass chic," he says, gesturing to the Zen-Whoberi next to him, "and the other is Rocket, weapons expert and engineer, with a crazy talent for making, operating and firing weapons, explosives, and all other means of instant death."

"Great, never heard of you" he says to a dissatisfied sigh from Star-Lord, "now I imagine you're here for my _package_ , well best of luck as you'll only get it out of my cold dead hands!"

"Ew dude, we're not here for your _package_ , wierdo, we're here for the box you stole from the Xandarians, so hand it over so we can get out of here before that sandstorm arrives" says Star-Lord. Gesturing towards Rocket he says "let him down, we're not going to get it from him spinning around like that."

Touching a device strapped to his armor Rocket snickers "sure thing Star-Lordy, anything for our galaxy-renowned leader."

"Hey" intones Peter "he knows who I am, he's just being an asshole about it. Negation tactic and all, I'm cool about it, doesn't matter anyway."

"Sure it doesn't" says Gamora, keeping her weapon trained on the merc leader "just let him down so we can finish this."

The blue field suddenly winks out around him as he falls unceremoniously to the ground, landing in a crumpled heap. Rising slowly to his feet he suddenly draws his weapon and aims it squarely at Star-Lord. "Big mistake, amateur" he says while pulling the trigger, but when answered only by the click of an unfired weapon he pulls the trigger several more times, only to answered by the same disappointing click click.

"So, forgot to mention that, we had one of our own disarm your weapon before you landed. Like I said semi-pro" says Star-Lord with that grin now on his face once more.

"Speaking of that, aren't you forgetting something" says Gamora, gesturing towards the mercenaries still spinning helplessly near the ship.

"Oh crap" says Star-Lord, burying his face in his hands, "Rocket, let Kraglin and Drax down from the stasis fields, they've been hanging long enough and they're probably pretty pissed."

Two more blue lights wink out as the spitter and the tall and imposing merc fall back towards the sand, landing in their respective heaps. Kraglin, the spitter, rises first, "fancy piece of work with the speakers and immobilizers captain, when we separated after coming up with the ambush and you said you'd have something awesome but not too showy set up I didn't think I'd end up almost puking."

"Indeed friend Quill" says Drax, drawing himself up, "that was a most unpleasant sensation. However, there is something more urgent to discuss, this thief seems to believe that something will 'go south' from here and while I have kept looking in that direction, seeing nothing, I believe we should make south our top priority."

"Drax, things going south is an expression for things turning from good to bad" Gamora sighs "the only thing south is that sandstorm, which need I remind everyone is less than 10 minutes away."

"That makes no sense, if south is bad then is north good? What about east and west, are they only acceptable? What about in space when there is no meaningful distinction, does that mean-"

"-Kill me, Kill me now. Or better yet just remove my universal translator, actually no, because then I still wouldn't be able to understand him.

"ALRIGHT Rocket, Drax, Gamora is right. We need to finish this up and get out of here before that sandstorm arrives, I can only imagine what it would do to the Milano's paint job." Quill takes several steps towards the thief, "alright guy, hand over the box and I won't have to stun you in that _package_ you care about so much."

He considers this for a few moments before reluctantly handing it over, muttering "fine, take it, done no good for me anyways."

Peter studies the exterior for a few moments before quickly opening it and closing it again. "Yep it's all there and it looks mighty expensive, so Gamora, I'm handing this over to you, I have a bad history of dropping valuable and dangerous things.

Gamora rolls her eyes but accepts it anyways, storing it under one arm. "Peter, before we leave we should talk to the buyer, find out who they're middle manning for."

"Good thinking Gamora, Kraglin and Drax can stay here and watch over our friend, Rocket and us will go see what the xandarian rotating in stasis knows."

As they approach her she seems to be calm, considering all the unusual circumstances, even calling out to the guardians when they near.

"Guardians of the galaxy, if you will release me from this stasis field I promise I can tell you all you wish to inquire about my master."

"Well that sounds like a pretty good deal" says Peter "but words are just that, how do I know you'll be cooperative once we let you down?"

"Mr. Quill, I am only an emissary and have no desire to harm, now that my mission has obviously failed I am instructed to pass on a message."

"Sounds good, but just know you have two _very_ dangerous people covering you."

"Glad you're not counting yourself as very dangerous" says Rocket, snickering.

"Precisely, I'm _**ultra**_ -dangerous" says Peter to a huff from Gamora "now let her down Rocket, we need to finish this conversation soon, sandstorm remember?"

The immobilization field disappears around her as she lands with more grace than could be expected. Rising to her feet slowly she gestures to her bodyguards still floating and spinning behind her, telling them not to try anything unless told.

"Now Guardians, my buyer anticipated that you would be assigned to track down the stolen item due to your temporary residence on Xandar and your well renowned ability among their security forces-"

"-Thanks for that by the way" says Peter "finally got a week to relax on a safe planet with nice beaches and a mostly rebuilt downtown and three days into that we get called by Nova Prime to assist on a weeklong job hunting down that asshole over there."

"Peter" chides Gamora "do not tell her more than she needs to know."

"Yeah, we still don't know who she works for" adds Rocket. "Besides, vacation wasn't that nice, you try drying yourself off after swimming in the ocean when you're covered in hair."

"Oh really Rocket, what about that bar we went to on the first night, name translated to Loose Legs I think, we hustled the games tables all night. You even convinced a man that you would do better betting with HIS MONEY than him!"

"Guys" says Gamora, gesturing towards the south and the quickly approaching sandstorm "leave the revelry and whatever happened at that bar till later."

"Right, sorry" says Quill looking sheepishly at Gamora "you said your boss knew we were coming and had something to tell us?"

The xandarian, who had been looking confusedly between them during the exchange, now returns to her diplomatic posture as she says "my master is someone who you have met before on Knowhere, Taneleer Tivan, the Collector."

The three Guardians look at each other in surprise until Gamora says "I'm not surprised that Tivan is interested in this item, it is valuable and unique, but I am surprised that he'd leave a message in this manner for us."

"Yeah, last time we saw him the infinity- or um package that we had brought him detonated inside of his warehouse. Oh, is he mad about that? Tell me he's not mad about that because a man with his fashion sense is not a man to be screwed with."

"Quiet ya idiot" adds Rocket, with a glare at Peter "last time he was willing to offer four billion units so I want to hear the lady out on what she has to say."

"My message is this" says the xandarian as if reading from a prepared script "something was recently stolen from my collection that could cause great damage if released among the denizens of the galaxy. While none of the galactic governments or mercenary groups have the nuance or skill to retrieve this item for me, I believe you may be the most capable of returning this dangerous item back into my protection. With this messenger, I have entrusted a datapad with a detailed description of the item as well as who might have stolen it. I do not ask this of you easily, for I am deeply dissatisfied with your decision to leave the stone with the xandarian government instead of with myself, but I am however forced to ask this of you out of a need to contain this to those I know to be capable of the near impossible."

Several moments of silence follow, with Gamora the first to break the silence.

"Tivan is not a charitable man, why does he care of the effects on the galaxy?

"It does sound interesting, except for the impossible part, but why does he think we can, or will, do this for him?" asks Peter.

"My master is familiar with your accomplishments in the past year" answers the emissary "from the defeat of the rogue Kree accuser Ronan, several successful missions for a variety of galactic governments, and the destruction of the celestial Ego, you have proven yourselves as the upmost independent mercenary team is the galaxy."

At the mention of Ego Peter tenses up and, casting his gaze downwards, receives a worried gaze from Gamora.

"Besides" continues the emissary, "my master wishes to avoid the blowback that would happen if the Xandarian or Kree governments were to learn of his possession of this dangerous item. They tolerate my master's presence because he is very wealthy and mostly remains out of illegal trades and businesses. And although they would never admit it publicly, he also acts occasionally as a third party for the safe keeping of dangerous items that others in power would rather have forgotten or buried. This, however, is a matter that will affect all sentient life in the galaxy, and as it's protectors you have as close to an obligation to act as any."

"Listen lady" says Rocket, pointing a finger at her "I don't wanna hear anything about obligations, we protect the galaxy because we live in it, we're not some altruistic bunch of saps that fling ourselves at each opportunity to die in defense of a galaxy that could give two shits about us. You want to convince me first, start talking units, because all I hear is what you yourself describe as an impossible mission. Not to mention that this is the Collector we're talking about, someone who would most likely turn us into exhibits before we'd even have time to call him an overdressed asshole."

"Rocket, if Tivan is willing to reach out to us like this than we must take him seriously" Gamora says, still looking worriedly at Peter who hasn't reacted except to shift his gaze upwards towards the brightening sky overhead.

"Easy for you to say, you've worked with him before" says Rocket, crossing his arms and looking angrily at Gamora "remember how he wanted to buy Groot's corpse and put it on display like some sort of sick art exhibit, I don't trust this guy and neither should any of you."

Gamora, shifting her gaze from Peter to Rocket, says, with a hardened expression "I'm not saying we trust him, let's just take the intel he has and go from there. The Collector has many dangerous things in his vaults and if he claims one of them is stolen we must treat this with the same seriousness we would treat any other dangerous mission. You understand, right Peter?"

He does not answer, except to continue staring blankly at the sky above. Rocket continues "Nah I say we leave his lackey here with the rest of them and keep on like we ain't never heard from our fur wearing friend. Which brings up another good point, where'd he get that fur from? Probably skinned it off some helpless creature, I say we-

"-We'll look into the job" says Peter finally, meeting the xandarian's gaze.

"You can't be serious" snorts Rocket, "Quill, come on, you know this guy, we can't trust him."

"You're right, we can't trust him" says Peter, earning a startled gaze from Rocket, "but we'll take the information this emissary has for us and look into it while keeping one eye on our backs. Gamora is right about this being serious though, if this guy deals in infinity stones who know what else he might have locked away that in the wrong hands could prove disastrous.

"Come on" says Rocket, looking angrily at Peter, "I thought after Ego you'd think twice about accepting anything from a mysterious stranger."

"Rocket that's ENOUGH" says Gamora loudly as Peter breaks away his gaze to look angrily at the sky. "This is not like Ego, we might not know Tivan's true motives yet but he isn't going to betray us after giving this information freely."

Gamora turns back to the emissary as Rocket sulks angrily, kicking the sand and muttering under his breath.

"We will take whatever information you have available and will deliberate its truthfulness later, is that acceptable to you?" asks Gamora of the emissary.

"It is indeed" she says, holding out a datapad that Gamora receives tentatively. "All the information needed is on here, plus a contact number you can use to reach my master directly if you have further questions."

"How does he know" asks Peter, looking back down at the emissary with a piercing stare, "how does the Collector know about Ego."

"I… do not know. The events that played out amongst hundreds of habitable worlds has been talked about ceaselessly since, but as for how my master knew about the celestial Ego's involvement, he did not share that with me."

Peter does not speak for several moments, only staring intently at the emissary, until finally he turns to Gamora "let's get out of here." Rocket mutters approval at this while Gamora maintains her gaze on Peter, he continues "We'll release the rest of them from stasis when we take off on the Milano, let them ride out the sandstorm and by then we should be far enough away to avoid pursuit or tracking."

"That sounds appropriate" says Gamora, pausing as if to say more before contenting herself with a brief hold of Peter's shoulder. Peter smiles wordlessly at this, before turning to Rocket and asking "that sound ok to you?"

"Yeah whatever," answers Rocket, "I sabotaged his ship while Kraglin was distracting him." "It'd take me about a minute to fix so he'll probably be stuck on this planet for days."

"Good" says Peter, turning back towards the emissary, he continues "tell your master this… we will look at what he's given us and make our decision in the next few days as to whether we'll take the job or not. We need to return to Xandar first with this, but after that he'll hear from us about our decision, deal?"

"Peter Quill, that is more than acceptable, I shall report all that you have said to my master promptly. Thank you for taking this matter up Guardians, I am sure the galaxy will be the better for it!"

"Yeah well, we're 2-0 in stopping galaxy destroyers, I guess adding one more to the win column can't hurt. Come on guys lets go" Peter says, turning his back on the emissary of The Collector and walking back to where Kraglin and Drax are still watching over the thief.

"Friends, did the buyer reveal anything useful? All our captive has done is wine incessantly and even after several threats to remove his head from his body he still persists, it is very irksome." Drax says, lowering a threatening hand on the thief's shoulder.

"She did, but we'll talk about it more on the ship" says Peter "we'll leave the rest of these mercs here for pickup by the xandarians, they won't be going anywhere for a few days anyways."

"Why do you say that?" askes the thief.

"Because I sabotaged your ship idiot" says Rocket smugly, "you won't fry in the heat because I left it operational enough, but if you try and fly anywhere you'll only get as high as a few miles before a nice long plummet back to the ground."

"Fantastic, thanks for keeping the AC running at least" adds the thief despondently.

 **Awesome Mix Vol. 3:** Boston - Feelin' Satisfied

After heading back to the Milano and removing the covering that had kept it undetectable from scanners they lift off the planet's surface and launch into orbit mere moments before the sandstorm overtakes their position, leaving the newly freed mercenaries to flee and cower inside their partly functioning ship. Climbing back down from the cockpit where he had just set their autopilot on course for Xandar Peter calls the rest of the Guardians together for a meeting in the common room.

"First things first congrats on a successful mission everyone, we're on our way back to Xandar now to deliver the stolen goods back to Nova Prime for what should be a substantial reward. Groot, thanks for protecting the ship in case something went wrong and we needed backup, now that you're all grown up, again, it's good to have you backing us up. And Mantis, once we have some actual down time we'll be sure to teach you some combat skills so you can join us on missions."

"It is ok Peter, I am just happy to have true friends who would entrust me with defending them, if I was capable" says Mantis shyly, wringing her gloved hands together.

"It is alright to be ashamed of your failings" says Drax, laying a hand on her shoulder "if you'd like I could teach you how to eviscerate your enemies with a blade, or maybe I could show you how to explode a kree's heart with just a single punch to the chest? Oh yes, the blood spray on that is a sight to behold, I insist you must learn!"

Recoiling, Mantis whimpers a quiet "no thank you" while Drax looks on confusedly. Sighing, Gamora says "Drax we were thinking more along the lines of learning how to operate, fire and maintain a pistol, nothing as bloody or disgusting."

"Can you really explode a kree's heart with one punch?" Asks Rocket amusedly.

"There is nothing disgusting about it, and yes Rocket I have done it to several kree in the past, mostly as a mercy to them as the death is almost instantaneous and it is considered a worthy way to perish on the battlefield."

"Alright guys, we're getting sidetracked" says Peter, raising his hands to stop the current conversation "Kraglin and Drax, good work on infiltrating that merc band before the handover, did you have any problems getting him to play along?"

"Nope, that guy was a real pushover" says Kraglin, smirking "Yondu would have killed me over half the stuff I said to this guy, he had no idea how to lead a team, even took my recommendation for a landing spot."

"Indeed" adds Drax "he was weak willed and soft, and was easily convinced of our legitimacy."

"Good" says Peter, clasping a hand on Kraglin's shoulder and giving it a shake "nice choice on the music too, I'd never heard that one before now that I've gotten more songs added to the Zune."

"I _am_ Groot"

"Next mission buddy, there was no good way to disguise a tree on a planet covered entirely in sand. Next place we land with a good forest, you're leading the charge out the door.

"I **am** Groot" he answers happily, seemingly contented with this answer.

"Peter" says Gamora, drawing his attention, "we need to discuss with the rest what the buyer told us."

"Ah, yes, that. Not to rain on the victory parade but we've got some new business to talk about. The buyer ended up being an emissary for The Collector, who by the way apparently isn't mad that the last time we were at his place most of it detonated in a purple explosion because he offered us a job recovering something highly dangerous that was taken from one of his vaults. There weren't many details except that what was stolen was like galaxy threateningly bad and that he believed we were the only team who could handle it. We got a data pad from his emissary, apparently detailing everything about this threat, so it seems pretty official, and we're supposed to give him our response in a few days, so yeah, opinions everyone?"

Rocket speaks first, "I think this whole business smells, we just finish breaking up this guy's deal and all of a sudden he offers us a job, and not only says we're the only ones who can do it but says that it's some vague galaxy ending threat? Yeah right, I bet the second we power on that datapad it sends out our location to a merc group and before I can say told you so we're shot to pieces. Or worse yet we're dragged back to his lair or whatever and I'm stuffed and mounted on the mantel while Groot here gets turned into an oversized coatrack. No way, I say we toss it out the airlock right now."

"Rocket makes a compelling point" says Drax "This Collector is not an ally I put much value or faith in, and we have no way of knowing what is on that data pad without turning it on and possibly compromising ourselves."

"The risks are great in trusting Tivan, yes, but they are even greater if Tivan is telling the truth and something is out there of the same magnitude as an infinity stone. I am the only one among us who has dealt with him extensively before, and while I'm not proud of that time in my life, he has never been dishonest about business. He would oftentimes manipulate circumstances to give himself the greatest favor, that is true, but he was always straightforward when time came for the transaction. Besides, we are small pieces in the galaxy as a whole, even if we are drawing more and more attention with each successful job. What reason would he have for such a complicated revenge against us?"

"What, are you serious Gamora" asks Rocket incredulously "not only did most of his collection on Knowhere blow up the last time we were there, we also took a little thing called an infinity stone right out from in front of him, something need I remind you he was willing to pay FOUR BILLION UNITS for. He even mentioned in his little message that he was pretty pissed that we handed it over to the Nova Core instead of him."

"I **am** Groot"

"Thank you Groot, and he was very rude, offering you money for your corpse."

"Ok, firstly we did not destroy his collection, his assistant did when she grabbed the exposed infinity stone. And secondly it has been nearly a near since that time, if a man as powerful as Tivan wanted us dead we would have known by now. Also in his message, and based on what his emissary said, he sounded almost scared, that he could lose his privileged status among the galactic governments over a single item should give all of us pause to consider what that implies."

After a few moments in which all of the guardians stand, lost in their own thoughts, Kraglin finally breaks the silence, saying "I'm for whatever the rest of you want to do, Rocket has a point about it being dangerous to trust him, but if this guy is as powerful as Gamora describes and if he's squirming enough to ask _us_ for help… then it's got to be something serious."

"I am in agreement with Rocket about this, the threat may or may not be real but trusting this man is a mistake" Drax says, while pulling out one of his knives and beginning to sharpen it.

Peter suddenly speaks up from his position leaning against one of the Milano's bulkheads "I'd like to hear Mantis's opinion on what we should do." Mantis, who had been silently observing the conversation from a seat at the far side of the common room, stands up upon hearing her name and, fixing Peter with an inquisitive expression says "well… I know little about this Collector, whether he is worth trusting or not. But if the Galaxy is threatened, then the Guardians must respond."

"My thoughts exactly" says Peter standing up and walking towards the center of the room. "Look, we have twelve hours until we reach Xandar, I say we all get some rest and decide what to do after we finish delivering this package to Nova Prime. Besides, it would be safer to turn on the pad when we're not traveling through interstellar space and are on a safe planet instead, everyone turn in for the night, we aren't going to come to a decision right now anyways."

All of the Guardians nod and speak approval to the plan as they each file out of the common room separately towards their sleeping quarters, leaving Peter alone in the now quite space. Putting on his new headphones, his old ones being left behind with his destroyed Walkman on Ego's planet, he climbs the stairs to the cockpit and resting in the pilot's chair with his feet all the way up on the console stares up at the stark blackness hurtling all around the Milano as the ship sails on towards Xandar and an important decision.


	2. Chair Talk

_Authors Note:_ Just a quick reminder on how music functions in the story. Whenever a **Awesome Mix Vol. 3** appears play the corresponding song, all can be found on Youtube, and continue reading the text. I don't mean to harp on this but I just want to make sure anyone reading understands because the music adds a lot, in my opinion at least. Anyways, enjoy Chapter 2!

* * *

Inky black shadows and echoing screams surround her as she stumbles forward up a gravely hillside slicken with the blood of the dozens of slain people littering the area. Looking behind her, back into the settlement still burning with smoke rising in black circlets to blot out the sky overhead, she pauses as one of the last families still alive is led into the ruined center of town and is forced down onto their knees. Their calls for mercy reach her faintly on the ashen breeze, as with a raise of his hand the mad titan orders their execution. They were there to root out information on a relic Thanos wanted, and in his rage on being denied the information needed, he had ordered the entire town of ten thousand raised to the ground and all the inhabitants massacred. As the white-hot beam of the incinerator roars into life, tearing the innocents apart at the atomic level, Gamora lets the image burn into her retinas so as to not let the passage of time dull her memory of what she would fight against.

Sitting awake with a start, a cold sweat shimmering on her face, she lets the last images of the memory wash over her, until all that is left is a dull ache in her midsection. The nightmares had been coming less and less frequently ever since she had taken up with her new family, but on nights like tonight when worry had filled her thoughts they were all but inevitable. Lying back down and trying to get comfortable on her bed her thoughts are interrupted as her ears pick up the soft sounds of music wafting through her partially opened door.

 **Awesome Mix Vol. 3:** Simon & Garfunkel - Kathy's Song

As the pleasant melody lulls her into a quiet contentedness, thoughts of her fellow teammates come into her mind unbidden.

Rocket will always be an asshole, quick to anger and even quicker to lash out with humor or a well-placed bullet. But beneath the exterior, she knows he cares more than anyone else about all of them, always willing to defend them against all comers. He's helps that he's also a master tactician, she thinks to herself, who could come up with some of the most elaborate and dangerous plans she had ever seen, and he usually put them to good use, when he wasn't having a petulant argument with Peter that is.

Drax can be insufferable, misinterpreting social cues to the chagrin of everyone else. But he carries a pain greater than anyone she had ever known with such grace and drive that she was constantly in awe that it did not consume more of him than it already did. And the way he treats Mantis with a kind of father like affection was surprising at first, but perhaps he's trying to replace a part missing from his life by mentoring the young girl. And although her empathic powers had irritated her at first, she admits to herself that they wouldn't have escaped Ego's planet without Mantis's help. Also, perhaps because of her innocence, she was prone to startling insights. Such as her answering Peter's question tonight with the uncomplicated statement that 'if the Galaxy was threatened the Guardians must react.'

Groot, now that he has regrown to somewhat near his original height, has once again become a large tower of strength they could rely on in any fight. But not only that, it was good to have someone Rocket could confide in again and although it was nearly impossible to determine what exactly he was saying with his three-word vocabulary, his intention when speaking was never missed.

Kraglin she knows the least about, but Yondu had put his faith in the man during the last hours of his life, and now that he had no other crew or captain to return to it necessitated him joining their team. He was a competent fighter who got better every day with the arrow, even though they still had to dodge the flying projectile from time to time, and he also has a special bond with Peter over their shared time as a part of Youdu's crew.

And then there's Peter…

"And Peter" she thinks to herself, as her mind returns to the melody of the music still playing softly through her door. Rising slowly from her bed and putting on something Peter calls a sweatshirt she enters the common room, still silent and empty. Moving to the stairs leading up to the cockpit she stops with one foot resting on the step, a thought racing through her mind, "What if he doesn't want company, what if he doesn't want to talk to me?" The thought roots her to the spot, as she had seen the conflicting emotions passing through Peter's face when Ego was brought up by the collector's emissary, the uncertainty and pain showing clearly in his eyes. But as she continues up the stairs after a moment of reflection, thinking that if she was the one who couldn't sleep she would want Peter to come and assuage her, she hopes that this is something he would want, another part of their unspoken thing. Reaching the top of the stairs and looking into the cabin she sees Peter's feet resting upon one of the control consoles with the rest of him stretched out in a chair, hands intertwined upon his waist and head resting upon his chest. Noticing that his eyes are closed and not wanting to disturb him if he had fallen asleep listening to music she begins to turn to leave when he calls out to her.

"Gamora, you can't sleep either? Or did my music wake you, sorry about that."

"No, I just woke up and heard music, figured I'd… actually I don't know… I'll leave you alone."

"No stay" says Peter, opening his eyes and leaning forward in his chair "if you want to that is… I've been dozing on and off for the past couple of hours, listening to some of the new music I put on the Zune."

Gamora, still standing hesitantly near the stairs half turned away from Peter, asks "what happened at that bar on Xandar, Wide Arms was the name of it I think, you mentioned something about it earlier."

Peter, taken off guard by the question, hesitates for long moment, long enough that Gamora thinks that she made have made a mistake trying to lighten the mood. She is about to apologize and retreat back to her room when Peter leans back into his chair and lets out a long, hearty laugh.

"Oh man HaHaHa, it was vintage Rocket, definitely. And it was called Loose Legs, at least that's what it translated as, here, sit down and I'll tell you about it."

Gamora moves to sit down opposite him as he begins regaling her about the night.

"So you remember how, when we went to the beach that day, I threw Rocket into the ocean after he kept refusing to swim with us, complaining that he would take hours to dry off?"

"Yes, I remember" says Gamora, smiling to herself at the memory of a waterlogged Rocket cursing loud and rapidly, "I believe he said he was going to coat all your clothes in itching powder the first chance he got."

"Yeah, so to make it up to him I said I would take him to this bar I used to go to when I visited the planet on Yondu's crew, buy him a few drinks and all that. Turns out it had been pretty badly damaged when Ego's… well anyway it was mostly fixed when we went there. Well a few drinks ended up turning into a lot of drinks and we started playing at some of the card tables they had set up. I wasn't doing too well as I have this pretty bad tell when I'm drunk, my left eyebrow, actually I probably shouldn't tell you in case we end up playing cards at some point, I imagine you have a pretty good poker face. But I was getting beat pretty badly when all of a sudden Rocket sallies up to the table with a whole bunch of chips and starts cleaning everyone else out. I cash out and head back to the bar not wanting to lose any more of my money, especially to Rocket of all people, when all of a sudden he comes running up and tells me we got to get out of there fast! I try and ask him why but he doesn't say anything until we're a few blocks down the street. Finally, he tells me that he had convinced this really drunk mobster looking guy that he could double his money if he let him play for him at the cards table. I don't know why the guy trusted him but Rocket ended up tripling what he had started out with and decided to split with everything, leaving the other guy out in the cold so to speak. He had just finished telling me all of this when we were jumped by four guys with guns, telling us to give them all their boss's money back if we wanted to live to see another sunrise or something like that, I don't really remember what they said, I was pretty drunk."

"Peter, those guys could have killed you" she sighs, not really believing what she was saying. She had seen both Rocket and him in plenty of fights and had no doubt they could clean the floor with a few hired goons, even being drunk and all.

"Yeah they might've" says Peter, smiling, "if they ever had the chance. Before they even finished trying to intimidate us Rocket had stunned two of them, one in the _package_ I think because he was yelling pretty loudly about it afterwards, while I had rocketed into another and, using my momentum, threw him into the last guy pretty hard. Rocket tossed them a few unit slips, saying they could bring those back to their boss, and we kept on going. Stopped at another bar for a nightcap and that was it, back to the Milano for sleep and a next day hangover."

Peter sits back down in his chair after finishing the story, having stood up to act out the last part with a series of over-embellished hand and arm gestures, as the two of them sit there for a while in companionable silence.

"What did you end up doing during on our short-lived vacation" he asks, looking over at Gamora, "we didn't hang out much except for the times all of us went out and did something together like that day at the beach."

"Nothing that exciting really, visited a martial arts dojo twice for some training, made sure the ship was well stocked in case we got a new job and had to leave in a hurry, which we ended up doing."

"Oh man, Gamoraaa" Peter wines, receiving an eye roll from her, "you've got to live a little. Down time only comes along once in a while when you're guarding the galaxy and you have got to make the most of it." "You know," Peter says slowly, "there's a great little dancing club on Xandar I've been to a few times, mostly out of the way without a lot of prying eyes. I even know the owner so I could probably convince him to play some of my music-"

"-No Peter, dancing in private is one thing but I'd rather be eaten alive by a Rathgor then have to dance in public." Noticing the crestfallen expression on Peter's face and remembering the strange emotions that had made her come up here she adds, quietly, "at least, I would need a few more lessons before I'm ready."

Jumping up from his chair excitedly at this Peter says, with his words all running excitedly together "Oh yeah, definitely, I mean not that you're not good already, you have natural talent and all, but sure, I could teach you some moves, some good ones too, only the best most awesome ways!"

Not being totally able to hide a smile at Peter's excited reaction Gamora watches as he acts out several moves with an imaginary dance partner, all the while babbling continuously about how each move looks and feels.

Finally tiring himself out and slumping back into his chair with a sigh he asks Gamora "so, did you get any of that?"

"Oh, more than I'll ever need" she answers, smiling despite herself.

"Good, good, I'll show you more when I'm not so tired. Dam it's hot in here, and I should've stretched before doing all that, my legs are cramping up." Rubbing his legs, he leans back in the chair lazily and pulls out the music player to pick out a new song.

Sensing an opportunity to ask a more serious question she ponders her words carefully before asking "what do you think of our new mission? The one the Collector's emissary gave to us on that last planet."

Peter, looking up from his music player, meets her eyes for a moment before looking back down at the Zune and, fixing it with a concentrated expression says "well I don't know if I'd call it a mission yet. So far all we know is something dangerous may or may not be out there and the only intel we have to go on is the word of a mega-rich, super shady guy. Besides, we haven't even decided as a group on whether we're going to turn on that datapad in the first place, so right now I'm content to not think about it until we arrive on Xandar."

Not quite satisfied with this answer Gamora continues, saying "but Peter we have to at least look into it, turn on that datapad and see what's on it I mean. If the Collector is scared enough to come to us for help then it must be something truly serious."

"I'm not denying that it could be something bad, I'm also not suggesting that the Collector seeking us out in this strange sort of way doesn't add a lot of intrigue and hidden meaning, all I'm saying is that we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I think once everyone has a chance to sleep on it and we're safe on Xandar after finishing this current job we'll have everyone ready to look into whatever wild chase the Collector intends to send us on."

Quiet falls over their conversation as Peter continues searching through the Zune for the perfect song while Gamora maintains a stony silence, not really looking at anything in particular.

Suddenly Peter asks, not looking up, "we've been together as a team for about a year now right?"

"Yes, it'll be a year at the end of this solar month. Did you want to do something special for it?"

"Probably" answers Peter, keeping his eyes fixed on his music player "but that's not really what I'm thinking about right now."

"What is it then?" Gamora asks, now troubled by what may be bothering Peter so much as to cause this withdrawn reaction from him.

"It's just that I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing anymore. It not that what we're doing is wrong, we _are_ two-time Galaxy savers as Rocket would put it, I just don't think I'm the right person to lead the rest of you anymore. Not after what happened with my father anyways."

"Peter" says Gamora now staring at him intently, willing him to turn towards her. "Ego had all of us fooled up until the end, it's not your fault, none of us saw through him until it was almost too late."

He doesn't answer for a long while, instead staring into the middle distance with his Zune forgotten in his hands. He sits in silence for so long that Gamora is tempted to interrupt his thoughts when he suddenly asks "do you remember what it was like to hold an infinity stone?"

Surprised by this unexpected question, Gamora answers hesitatingly "Yeah, although you actually held it, I think the rest of us only got part of its effects. I remember an incredible burning sensation spreading from my hand and up to my chest and then to all over my body in a sudden wave of intense heat. It felt like my skin was about to catch fire and every nerve ending in my body was screaming at me to let go."

"Mine was a bit different. When I first grabbed it, my entire body started convulsing and my skin started to crack open from the power of the thing. Once I was able to get to my feet it felt like they were fusing with the ground and I could feel my insides being pulled apart, the stone literally turning me into dust as I watched myself cracking and coming apart. But I knew that if I let go everyone on that planet would be dead, turned into ash just like I was starting to, so I knew I had to hold on no matter what. I didn't think I had more than a few more seconds left, and then, you called out to me. I couldn't really see much, the light and heat were almost blinding, but I turned towards where I heard your voice and suddenly it was all gone. The pain, the heat, all of it, everything around me and about me had changed. I stood out amongst the stars in a crucible of creation, planets forming and being destroyed all around me, the universe pulsing and moving under my feet. Then she was there in that place among the stars too, my mother, just as I had seen her the last time... the last time I was on Earth. She asked me to take her hand, something that I couldn't do as a child when she died right beside me. This time I did. And when I grasped her hand everything came back, the sensation of unlimited power barely contained within me, the charred black surroundings of where I stood, and I could see again, I could see you. The pain was still there, but it had been dulled, it had been shared amongst us. Then after Drax and Rocket had taken hold and we destroyed Ronan and contained the stone again the power left me and I was human again, just Peter Quill from Terra. I wanted to feel that sensation again, I wanted to go back to that place amongst the stars where I had felt such power. I wanted to see her again. I tried to push that idea to the back of my mind, we had too many important things to do and with a new family around me it was easy to forget about it for a long time. But then Ego came and changed all that…"

Peter, who had been slowly leaning forward in his chair while telling the story, now stands up on those last words and walks to the front of the Milano's cockpit and, arms by his side, stares out into space, unmoving.

Gamora, stunned by all he had just told her, stares at his silhouette framed against the lights of the stars, wondering what she should say to him. What could she say to him? Why was he bringing this up now, almost a year later? She knew that it had something to do with his crisis of confidence he seemed to be suffering from, but how, she didn't know. And the story about his mother, it didn't seem possible that his body or mind could have been transported to that place to witness those things without leaving where he was standing with the stone. Although they knew so little about what the stone did, and Peter was the only one of them to have physical contact with the thing, that anything was truly possible. And what he had said about her calling out to him, and how that had seemed to send him into this out of body experience to witness his mother, she wasn't really ready to process yet. But she knew she had to keep him talking.

"Peter, you've said little about what happened with Ego in his chamber" remembering seeing him strung up by those tendrils of white light makes her shudder, but she continues anyway, needing clarity on what was affecting Peter so, "what did he say to you?"

"It isn't just what he told me, it's what he showed me" says Peter slowly, turning back towards Gamora but not looking at her. "The power Ego possessed, the light as he called it, he started showing me how to control it myself. I felt that same sensation of power again, but this time there was no pain, no heat, it felt like it was welling up inside of me naturally, like a mountain spring that I had to coax out. He told me I was immortal as long as I stayed near the light and I believed him because I knew it was true, I could feel that power inside of me. Then the night after we had our argument he led me into his chamber and started talking about this plan he had been putting in motion for centuries, how he was going to become one with the galaxy, improve life by supplanting it. Then he showed me… it… he showed me _it_ Gamora."

"Showed you what?"

"Eternity. He touched my forehead and suddenly I was back in that place again and I could see all of the planets and stars the way he saw them, countless numbers of them, planets pulsing with life and all the stars burning like pinpricks of lights in the cosmos, it was more beautiful than I can describe to you with words. But this time it felt like I could manipulate them, change them, become one with them because the power was inside of me to do it this time, it didn't come from some universal relic. He started talking about his other children, my brothers and sisters, and how each of them had failed him, how they didn't possess what was within me… but I could barely hear him, I had the power to do anything, the galaxy was mine, laid out before me. But then I thought of you, and all my other friends, and how if I were to change the galaxy, if I were to become immortal, it would mean leaving all of you behind and I didn't want to do that. I thought of my mother because she was not here in this place as she was last time and I thought that if I could see everything, if I had all this power, then why couldn't I see her again? Ego then told me about why he couldn't go back to earth to take care of me, or her when she was sick, because if he did he would stay with her and have to give up his purpose and his immortality, because he loved her _so much_. And standing in that place, feeling that power, I started to believe him, that his purpose was greater than my friends. That the life he wanted for me was better than any kind of existence I could achieve with anyone else. I was agreeing with the murderous bastard! But then he told me, in an offhand sort of way, he told me… that he killed her… he killed my mother to stop himself from coming back and staying with her and me. Put the fucking tumor in her brain that killed her! Then I knew why I couldn't see her, why she wasn't with me in that place amongst the stars again, because it wasn't the same as before, it was corrupted. This was the same power I had felt before, but from a different hand, a monster's hand. Suddenly I was back in his chamber again, eternity gone from my mind, and all that was left was my father, _my father_ … my father."

Peter, who had been pacing back and forth, collapses back into his chair and buries his face in his hands. "My father wanted to kill billions and billions of people and I was willing to go along with it all because I was wanted that power again. If he hadn't told me about what he did to my mother… I don't think I would have been able to fight it. You all would have come and tried to rescue me but there wouldn't have been anything left, I would have been lost to him, all because he had put visions of grandeur in my head. I'm not good enough to lead you and the rest of our team into another battle, I'm not strong enough."

Standing up quickly and walking over to Peter she pulls his hands down away from his face and holds them in hers, pulling him up from his chair they stand an arms distance apart with hands interfolded. Peter won't make eye contact with her, his eyes watering, but Gamora takes in his face before saying "you remember on Knowhere when we were being chased by my sister and Ronan's followers and the pod I was in exploded?"

"Of course I remember, I thought you were going to die out there."

"And you saved me Peter, we hardly knew each other and you put your life on the line to save me."

"Yeah but that was in the moment, I saw you out there and… I couldn't let you die."

"Exactly, you have that strength to act within you! At the time, if the roles would have been reversed… I honestly can't say if I would have done the same for you."

"Ah come on Gamora, I know you can't resist this" says Peter, cracking a smile for the first time in a while.

Gamora rolls her eyes but doesn't respond with a quip of her own, instead saying "you have weaknesses Peter, but that makes you human, it makes you like the rest of us. And if your weakness is that you want the power to change things, the power to see your mother again, then I think that is as noble a vice as any can have."

Peter considers this for several moments before shaking his head, and breaking hand contact, continues his pacing back and forth.

"It's not that simple Gamora, I'm corruptible. If I was just Peter Quill the human, or even Peter Quill the Ravager it wouldn't matter, but I'm Peter Quill the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy and am entrusted with the faith of some of the most dangerous and badass beings in the galaxy. I've slept with plenty of shady women and done lots of illegal shit in my time but now I have to be responsible for, well the galaxy it would seem, if the last year is anything to go by. And I almost killed everyone because of my weakness. You say it's because I'm human, and maybe that's the problem, maybe no one should have that power, or deserves that responsibility. If the kind of power that the stone or Ego gave to me appears again, and I can't honestly say that I would have the strength to refuse, then I do not deserve to lead anyone in the serious shit that we do."

"Would anyone else do better?"

This stops Peter in his tracks as he considers this for a moment, his brows lowered in thought, before he turns to look at Gamora, saying "you, I think you would do better."

Gamora breaks eye contact and looks out the cockpit towards the shimmering stars. "That's kind of you Peter but I _could not_ take on that responsibility. I've killed many for Thanos and his minions, done things that I will never be able to wipe clean from my soul, I could not lead our team any more than Drax or Rocket could." Returning to look Peter in the eyes she continues "you are the only one Peter, and I know that must be such a burden and I feel terrible that me or anyone else didn't realize that you were dealing with this sort of thing earlier, but it's the truth. I think you are stronger than you realize, and we've done more in the past year than most do in ten lifetimes so if you've made mistakes, if you have failures, all you can do is learn from them."

"Yeah but what if my next mistake kills someone on our team, and don't forget that we didn't entirely stop Ego's expansion, you saw downtown when we were in Xandar's capital city, that large patch where they were still cleaning out Ego's killer goo. How many people did that kill? How many on other worlds died because I wasn't strong enough to resist, or see through his ruse before things got that far. I may not have started it but I helped, willingly or no, and it was my own damn father that did all this!"

"What about Yondu? He was a pirate captain who ferried children to Ego for years, but he realized his mistake and tried to fix it in you. Now you have been responsible for saving the galaxy twice and I know he was proud of you by his actions alone, let alone what he said. All you can do is learn from your mistakes like him and improve."

Peter, now sitting despondently in his chair with tears threatening to well up in his eyes says "why did he have to die? Why for some guy like me? Why ever?"

Moving back over to him, Gamora kneels down and once again takes his hands in hers as she says "He died for the same reason you were willing to die for me outside Knowhere, he saw something in the other that they hadn't or weren't willing to realize. Yondu saw a son in you, and someone worth saving, someone with the courage to lead others. Let his sacrifice mean something, and don't let Ego and what he tried to do to you and others keep weighing you down, the pain is real but the self-immolation is not. Trust your instincts and friends and you'll be a fine leader, Star-Lord."

Standing up to return to her seat she is surprised when Peter does not let go of her hands and instead stands up with her and turns her towards him until they are face-to-face. "You said what Yondu saw in me, do you want to know what I saw in you?"

Some part of her not wanting to know she gives him a confused expression that he returns with such openness that the part of her that really wants to know the answer finally wins out as she asks "what did you see, Mr. Quill?"

"I saw someone who wanted to safeguard others over units when she realized what the stone could do, I saw someone who had to fight their entire life for the bad guys finally having a chance to do something for the good. I saw you.

Surprised to hear the choked sound in her own voice she replies with a simple "thank you" before pulling him in for a tight hug.

"And I also saw a rocking hot bod, but that was in descending order of course, the other things are much more important."

Pushing him away she slaps him on the chest, but it's mostly in jest as she's quietly smiling as she does it.

After Peter finishes laughing at his latest crude comment Gamora asks "are you going to be alright? You seem in a better mood then when we started."

"Yeah, yeah I'll be fine" says Peter, letting just a hint of seriousness return to his voice. "Thanks for talking to me, seriously, I didn't think I could rely on anyone to have that kind of conversation, glad I was wrong."

"Don't mention it, like I'm not kidding, mention that we had a heart to heart and I will remove yours, or have Drax do it for me."

"Drax said he can only explode a Kree's heart by punching it, I'm half human last time I checked so your threat has only 50% seriousness, I just might take those odds."

"Take them at your own risk" says Gamora, turning to leave.

"Hey wait, you're already up here, why not stay? Stretch out on a chair, listen to some music, watch the stars out the cockpit glass, I do it sometimes after an interesting or stressful day and this certainly checks all those boxes."

Not certain about what signal she wants to send she is about to decline when she thinks back to all that was said tonight and how Peter might be asking in his own way that he'd rather not be alone with just his thoughts. Thinking back to her own thoughts earlier tonight and how they were not very pleasant she says "Okay, but just for tonight" as she moves into the chair opposite his. Leaning all the way back and setting the chair for maximum decline she is pleasantly surprised at how comfortable it is "Did we change the chairs after the Milano was retrofitted after the crash" she asks. "Yeah, I installed them myself" says Peter, adjusting his own seat. "I offered to size the co-pilot's seat for Rocket, with his small size and all, he threatened to castrate me over it! Guy really needs to learn how to take a joke." "Well" says Gamora "you just keep trying and the way I see it he'll either actually kill you or learn, maybe both."

"Ha Ha very funny, here, check out this new song I picked up."

 **Awesome Mix Vol. 3:** The Marshall Tucker Band - Heard it in a Love Song

"I really liked it when it played on one of the radio stations we can get when passing the right comm buoy and I got it first chance I had."

Gamora enjoys the melody as she starts almost immediately falling asleep due to the lateness of the hour but she opens her eyes as Peter says "do you ever think we'll visit that star Gamora?"

Looking at where he is pointing she sees a distant star twinkling in the blackness of space. "I don't think that star is in the galaxy, so unless a convenient wormhole opens we'll probably never go there."

"Do you think there are other people out there, doing the kind of things were doing right now?"

"I don't know if there's another team out there called the Guardians of the Galaxy but I'm sure if there is other life out there people are fighting to protect it."

"Oh, I wasn't really thinking about that, but you're probably right. I was thinking more about people looking up at the stars and wondering what's out there."

"There probably are, it's a big galaxy and an even bigger universe."

They are quiet for some time before Gamora asks "is there any place out there you want to visit?"

"Well I want to see it all," Gamora smiles at this sentiment as Peter continues "but yeah there was one place I went to a long time ago, it was actually one of the first places I was able to take the Milano after I got old enough to pilot it solo."

"Tell me about it" says Gamora, closing her eyes as Peter begins regaling her.

"We had come across a destroyed ship in intergalactic space, well two ships actually, it turns out a raider had come across a merchant ship and destroyed it to get at its cargo. But I guess they were too hasty about it because the explosion from the merchant ship had disabled their own vessel and when we arrived, by accident that is, the pirates were still several hours from repairing their ship. So we slipped in and took all the adrift cargo while they were still trying to get their guns firing. In and out in ten minutes, 100,000 units richer. Well anyways one of the boxes was marked with a royal seal, and royals usually pay top dollar for their stuff so we looked up who's seal it was and contacted them, offering our 'services' in returning it. They agreed to pay but on the condition that only a single ship and operator come and deliver it to them. Yondu selected me for the job, he even gave me the whole 'you don't come back here with my money and I'm going to hunt you down and skin you alive' spiel. I was too young and scared to do anything other than say yes, this was almost fifteen years ago, but really, I was just excited to fly this ship by myself for a while. Took about a day to reach the planet, nice place with a mostly good climate, kinda reminds me of Xandar to be honest. Each of the three main continents are ruled by royal house and I had to go to the southern continent with my package."

"What was the package?"

"Some royal artifact that had been shipped off planet during a recent uprising by the people, I don't know what was really inside because it was sealed and Yondu had forbidden me from opening it but they sure wanted it bad. Anyways I brought it to this really large castle, ancient looking with a whole bunch of pretty sculpture, but I could see black scorch marks against the outer walls, signs of that rebellion I was telling you about. Everything went well at first though, I was introduced to the king sitting on his big throne and I tried to be as polite as possible but it probably didn't help things that I still had some of my breakfast on my shirt. What, don't laugh, I'd never had to be presentable before. But then after I had handed off the package the king summoned some guards to have me apprehended, apparently he didn't like having his stuff ransomed off and was going to make an example out of me. I had expected as much and I told him that I had attached a quantum disassembler charge to the bottom of the package and would blow it if he didn't give me the money and let me leave."

"Peter, a quantum disassembler has a massive blast radius, you would have killed yourself and everyone else in that room if you had detonated it!"

"Yeah, it was definitely overkill but I wanted to get my point across, and you should have seen the look on his face when I pulled out the detonator! He let me go, with the money I might add, although I doubt I'd get away with the same trick twice."

"I'm a bit surprised Yondu would send you on such a dangerous mission so young, he must have known the king would try something like that."

"Don't be surprised, Yondu might be the closest thing I've had to a real father but he was always tough. You know as well as I that you don't survive long out here unless you're willing to take risks in dangerous situations. But I think it was a test more than anything, see if I survive this one and then he would let me do more dangerous stuff. Anyways, after leaving the city I still had most of the day to kill before I had to head back so I decided to find a nice place to relax. Then I found it, probably the most beautiful place in the galaxy, the confluence of these two rives high above a lake. They were actually separate rivers until they both plunged over the edge of this cliff and met in the middle, forming this massive waterfall hundreds of feet across. I landed on this island just after where the waterfalls met the lake and spent the rest of the day swimming in this crystal blue water. It was the first time in years that I had time to myself, just to spend it relaxing without the threat of death hanging over me and it was awesome! Then when the sun was setting, I guess I was just at the right place at the right time, it turned the waterfall into this cascade of orange and gold, the entire thing just one big natural masterpiece. I sat on the shore watching it until the sun finally went down, making it violet and purple, then dark blue. Had to leave after that or I would have spent another day there. It's been almost fifteen years, never been back since, never had the time really. But one day, maybe when things calm down, I'll be there again."

"That sounds beautiful Peter" says Gamora, opening her eyes after imagining what all those colors playing out on the water must have look like.

"You got any place like that you've been to?"

Thinking back on all the beautiful places that must have existed before Thanos had defiled them Gamora sadly shakes her head. "No Peter, nothing like that at least. I've been to many beautiful planets but I always had a mission to do and for a long time there was no place for anything beautiful in what I did or saw. I do have a few memories of my home planet, which was renowned for its natural elegance, but those are too painful and I don't think about them much."

"I'm sorry Gamora" says Peter quietly, "true beauty is something rare and unfortunately the rare things we usually have to deal with are dangerous and wanted by equally dangerous people. If only people fought over things like waterfalls our job would be easier. Next time we're in-between missions I'll take you and the rest of the team to see it, and apparently the monarchy on that continent was finally overthrown by the people a while ago, so hopefully we'll get a much nicer welcome than I did, especially if I tell them that story about me threatening to blow up their former king."

Their conversation continues on for a while, with the two of them talking aimlessly about the past year and what they want to do in the future. When eventually each of them fall asleep in their own time, quietly content, the Milano continues on its starry path towards Xandar.

* * *

 _AN:_ Thanks again for reading, next chapter will be posted on 10/27.


	3. One Time Thing

_Author's Note:_ I added some prospective Awesome Mix songs to my profile in case anyone is interested in some good music to listen to. Anyways, I hope you enjoy Chapter 3! Next one should be posted on 11/3. It's a doozy, just over ten thousand words atm.

* * *

All is quiet aboard the Milano as Peter and Gamora have long since fallen asleep in the cockpit, and with their arrival at Xandar still a few hours away, no one has yet awoken. Now that each of them have their own sleeping cabins after the retrofit of the Milano, replacing the cramped and communal sleeping situation that had existed before, sleep had been coming easier and more peacefully to all of them. With Rocket's slow twittering that he would deny the next day and Groot's long slow exhales of "Groooot" everyone had been happy to have four walls and a door separating them all from each other, at least while they were sleeping.

Today Drax is the first to arise as, making his first few steps of the morning, he walks to the tap to pour himself a glass of refrigerated water. With a starship being an enclosed system all of the water that is used up through drinking or showering, or expelled from the body by sweating… and other secretions, is cleaned, purified, and reworked back into the usable water. While the fact that you may be showering or drinking someone's secretions is unsettling to any novice starship traveler, this is hardly Drax's first journey as he downs his second glass of the slightly strange tasting water. Setting the vessel down in the auto washer for cleaning later, he is about to return to his room for some quiet reading when Mantis comes out of the door from her own sleeping quarters.

"Still tired friend Mantis?" asks Drax, noticing her large black eyes are still bleary and half closed from sleep.

"Oh no, definitely not" answers Mantis, forcing her eyes open, "well maybe just a little, I think I am still getting used to sleeping on this ship."

"It is all right, although could you not put yourself to sleep as you did for others in the past?"

"No, I cannot" answers Mantis, moving to pour her own glass of water from the tap, "although I have never tried I do not think it would be wise."

"Perhaps so" says Drax, sitting down at the common room table while Mantis fills her glass at the tap, "have you given any more thought to the fighting lessons I offered yesterday?"

Mantis nearly spills her partly filled glass in response before quickly righting herself, saying "while I appreciate you offering, I do not wish to explode anyone's heart, no matter how satisfying the blood splatter may be."

Smiling to himself, happy that she had remembered how he had described it yesterday, Drax quickly continues "that is not necessary as I do not think your puny arms have the strength to do it, but I do think you could use some self-defense lessons apart from the pistol training Gamora suggested yesterday."

"Perhaps so" says Mantis, "what do you have in mind?"

"Just simple countering moves, such as blocking knife trusts and how to redirect an enemy's momentum to your advantage. Also, I could show you how to pop an enemies shoulder joint out of socket to facilitate quick removal with a blade, that has been useful on many occasions!" Seeing Mantis's horrified expression, he adds "no not that one, another _joke_ you see, you do not need to learn that."

"Oh, good" says Mantis, smiling slightly, "perhaps if we have time on Xandar you can teach me some of these. That is, if our next mission doesn't come up too quickly."

"Ah, the Collectors information, Mantis, I don't think you need to worry about that. Even if we do turn on that datapad to read what it says it'll probably lead to nothing."

"How are you so sure about that?" asks Mantis hesitantly. Gamora thinks it's serious, and even though Peter seemed to have his reservations I feel that he agrees. I know I'm supposed to try and keep my emphatic powers in check when not asked to use them, you all explained that to me, but I could not help but feel a great sense of apprehension radiating off him."

"It is alright Mantis, I felt it too. I wonder if one of us should go talk to him? Perhaps I could give him counsel over a fine glass of ale, or perhaps two glasses of ale, he always seems more open after becoming inebriated."

"I think Gamora would be the best to talk to him, give him counsel as you say" says Mantis while taking a sip of her water.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because they're all doey-eyed for each other you big lunk" interjects Rocket, emerging from his cabin with part of his fur still smushed against the side of his head. "I know you ain't the most visionary among us but you must be able to see it, even the bulkheads can see it."

"I do not understand what this 'doey-eyed' means as I have not seen their pupils change any significant amount recently. And since when do the walls have eyes, unless this is a new addition added after the retrofits" says Drax, quickly scanning the room around him.

"Trust me big guy you ain't gonna to find them, and I respected everyone's privacy, mostly. Mantis you'd explain it best, enlighten our friend here please as to happenings on."

"Oh, well, Peter feels strongly for Gamora, that much I think is known. Gamora I feel is less sure. I have had the least time or opportunity to read her as she is usually distant, but I think she has feelings for him that she is trying to suppress, for what reason I do not know. Because of this Peter is hesitant, as he doesn't want to lose the friendship, but I have seen Gamora open up more in the short time that I've known her, so maybe something will change."

"Do you both know this?" asks Drax surprised.

"Peter's an open book, man wears everything on his sleeve, so yeah, I knew that ever since he saved her outside Knowhere. Gamora's easy too, spend your entire life killing and fighting and it makes you hesitant to get close, no surprise she's giving him the lukewarm shoulder."

"Are you perhaps not speaking of yourself?" asks Mantis poignantly.

"What! You all are just assholes, no need to get too close to shit that stinks. What do we got in the fridge? Oh good, packaged meals, just like the last half dozen times" says Rocket, pulling out a brown rectangular container with meat and assorted vegetable laid out inside.

"Rocket, do you think we should talk to Peter? He seems to be troubled in the mind as of late."

"Of course he's troubled Drax, his father turned out to be a murdering psychopath who wanted to turn most of the galaxy into a gooey extension of himself. But Peter's tough, he'll get through it, doesn't need my shoulder to cry on" says Rocket, as he loads his meal into the thermal heater located to the right of the sink.

"That's mighty fine words for a guy who was saying we're all assholes a few seconds ago" says Kraglin who, having been listening to their conversation from the door of his cabin, walks over to sit down at the table. "But it's not just that, Peter's not been feeling well ever since Yondu died, and if I'm honest I haven't been feeling all that great either, but then again, I didn't have to watch him die out in space like that."

"Oh _wow_ , why don't you all just buy a ticket on the feeling bad express. Everyone will be fine, death happens, get over it."

"That's not the sentiment you had after Groot sacrificed himself for us and you didn't know he'd grow back" retorts Drax.

"That was different… look I don't have time to deal with all this sappy stuff, I have to go check the autopilot to make sure it didn't crash into something overnight. And make sure my food doesn't burn while I'm gone" he says, climbing the stairs to the cockpit.

"Is that guy always like that?" asks Kraglin.

"That is his usual mode of operation yes, although he seems in an extra foul mood this morning" answers Drax.

"Guys, guys!" says Rocket, scampering back down the steps from the cockpit with a big grin on his face "you have got to see this."

"Did we crash into something during the night?"

"What, no Drax, seriously you all need to see this, it's hilarious!"

They all follow curiously out of the common room and climbing the stairs to the cockpit stop dead in their tracks when they see what Rocket found so funny. Peter is laying sprawled on the captain's chair, snoring quietly, while Gamora lays in the co-pilot's seat opposite him, each of them turned on their sides facing the other and sound asleep. All the rest of the Guardians stare quietly at this for a while before Drax whispers "I'm glad I no longer have to counsel Peter with my ale, it is quite expensive." At the surprised expression from Mantis he adds "not that I wouldn't have gladly, it's just talking is cheaper." "This makes me very happy" says Mantis with a large smile "I feel a great sense of contentedness radiating off them." Rocket adds, with an unnervingly large smile, "makes me pretty happy too, I get to make fun of them over this for at least a few good weeks." "Seriously dude" says Kraglin a bit angrily, "just let them have this, I say we get out of here before they wake up." "Yeah that sounds like a good plan" says Rocket, before quickly adding, _very_ loudly, "at least they're still sleeping in separate beds!" Peter suddenly awakens with a snort while Gamora sits immediately bolt upright, Mantis lets out an embarrassed squeak while Drax and Kraglin each look in another direction, trying to look interested in anything else. Gamora, quickly realizing the large audience she now has, stands up briskly and looking at the auto-pilot, says dispassionately "we are two hours from arrival at Xandar, all of us should get ready for the meeting with Nova-Prime." Walking quickly without looking at anyone, especially Peter, she quickly moves down the stairs to the common room and disappears out of sight.

"Sorry about that man, hope we weren't interrupting anything" says Rocket smugly.

"Nope, definitely not" says Peter, rubbing the bridge of his nose with two fingers "I just came up here last night to stargaze and Gamora ended up joining me."

"I _am_ Groot?" calls a voice from down in the common room.

"No, you didn't miss anything important" answers Rocket, "although maybe if you would get up earlier in the morning you wouldn't have to always ask."

"I **am** Groot!"

"Sabotage, you've got a big imagination buddy, Peter here just confirmed that nothing was going on, ain't that right?"

Peter nods at this sadly, saying "yeah it was just a one-time thing, especially now."

"I am very sorry" says Mantis embarrassed, "we should not have interrupted."

"No, it's alright" says Peter, standing up from the captains chair, "Gamora's got a point though, we do need to get ready for our meeting in a few hours." Sniffing his armpit and recoiling he adds "well at least I need to get ready."

"Friend, although I am happy that you were able to find good counsel last night, I think I should remind you that Gamora is not a dancer like yourself and that perhaps she is not what is best for you."

"Actually Drax" says Peter quietly, almost to himself, "she agreed to take a few dancing lessons from me last night."

"Oh, that changes everything!" says Drax excitedly.

"Right, _dancing lessons,_ listen I think-"

-Rocket is suddenly interrupted as a brown rectangular object comes flying up the stairs and, hitting him squarely in the back, sends him sprawling against the floor.

"Your meal was starting to burn in the oven, wouldn't want you to have to eat something that was over-cooked" calls Gamora from downstairs.

"Jeez, passive aggressive much" mutters Rocket, pulling himself off the floor and picking up his meal he calls back down to the common room "what, no seasoning?"

Realizing his mistake a moment after speaking he has just enough time to dive out of the way as a bottle of seasoning comes rocketing up the stairs and, flying right past where his head was a moment ago, impacts the ceiling before coming to a rolling stop at the end of the cockpit.

"Thanks" says Rocket sarcastically as he walks over to pick it up.

"Oh mannn" says Peter, rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm going to be in the dog house for a week."

"You'll be fine, Gamora's not angry at you right now, just our friend here" says Kraglin. Turning towards Rocket he adds "are you sure you don't want to ask for a glass of water, I think her aim is getting better and better with every throw."

"No, I'm good" says Rocket, hopping up on the co-pilot's chair to begin eating. "I could ask for a knife and fork but I don't want to puncture the ship's hull."

"Peter, I have never met this Nova Prime before, what do you think she will say at our meeting?" asks Mantis.

"Yeah Pete and seeing as I was an outlaw, actually I probably am still an outlaw, are you sure you want me there?"

"Yes Kraglin I want you there, outlaw or no you're a part of the team. And there's no need to worry Mantis, Nova Prime likes us, and she'll like you I'm sure. But it'll probably go something like this-"

Peter puffs out his chest and begins speaking in his most regal tone "-Guardians of the Galaxy, it is with great honor and privilege that I present you with the keys to the city in light of your recent services to Xandar and all its peoples. I turned to your illustrious heroism in an hour of need and it did not let me down, and now with this recent deed it is once again my duty to congratulate you on another job well done. Furthermore-"

* * *

"-How in the **HELL** did you let that thief escape the planet!?"

Nova Prime sits back down into her chair after the outburst as the Guardians of the Galaxy sit before her, dumbfounded. The bright light of a new day on Xandar streams through the windows of her office, but for all the black vibes almost visibly radiating off of her, it might as well be the red glow of the burning embers of hell.

"Well that wasn't how I pictured this meeting going" mutters Peter under his breath.

Visibly calming, Nova Prime continues "I am sorry I raised my voice, you did indeed return the stolen item to us without damage," gesturing to the ornate gold and silver box sitting on her desk, "and for that I am grateful. But why did you **not** take him into custody when you had the chance!?"

They all turn to look at Rocket who, sitting absentmindedly in his chair, shrugs and says "I sabotaged his ship so it couldn't leave the planet, if he happened to have a second small escape shuttle tucked away in the cargo hold that I missed, my bad. Guy didn't seem like he was one to have a backup plan, so sue me."

"If you were one of our agents I would have you disbarred and disgraced Mr. Rocket, not sued," says Nova Prime coldly. "But seeing as you are just an independent contractor and all I can do is berate you, which is just wasting my time, I won't, anymore then I already have."

"Nova Prime, even if the perpetrator did escape due to the incompetence of one of our team members-"

"-wow that's pretty harsh-"

-Gamora raises a threatening hand to ward off any sarcastic comeback from Rocket before continuing, "we were, however, successful with the rest of our mission so I do not believe that it would constitute a violation of our contract with you and your government."

Nova Prime sits quietly for a few moments, head resting on her hand in thought, before saying, "you will be payed your contract in full, minus the bounty that would have been paid for the capture and return of the criminal, but that is not what is in dispute." Rising from her chair slowly she fixes each of them with a cold hard stare before continuing, "your team, such as it now exists, is capable of missions that cannot otherwise be given to our own security forces, for reasons of speed or saving public face, and that is why I have entrusted you with missions such as these in the past. However, if I cannot be assured that you will complete a mission to my full satisfaction each time, I may no longer be able, or _willing,_ to call on your services again. Am I making myself clear to all of you?"

"Crystal mam" says Peter, rising out of his chair to shake Nova Prime's hand. When she just stares at his outstretched arm without taking it he lets it fall back down to his side. "You can always count on us, this was just a one-time thing."

"See that it is just a 'one-time thing' Mr. Quill" intones Nova Prime, as Peter sits back down in his chair. "Now that the _pleasantries_ are over I am pleased to inform you that we have having a celebration dinner thrown in honor of this priceless relic being returned safely to us. You are of course all invited as honored guests-"

"-I don't know" interrupts Rocket, "wining and dining with the rich and famous ain't exactly my thing-"

"-there will also be an open bar with all expenses paid for each of you-"

"-I'm in-"

"-the dinner starts at 7 o'clock tonight so if you all want to head back to your ship or some other place downtown to get prepared, now would be the time."

They all stand up to exit her office when Nova Prime calls out "Actually Mr. Quill, can you stay for a few moments extra?"

Gamora casts a worried glance at Peter who answers with an unsure shrug, not wholly satisfied with this she stands in place by the door as the rest of the Guardians file out of the office.

"Miss Gamora it is not necessary for you to stay, I promise I will not keep him long" says Nova Prime.

"Yeah, it's cool Gamora, I'll catch up with you later" says Peter, giving what he hopes is a convincing smile.

Gamora, still unsure if it wise for her to leave, nods slowly before quickly turning on her heel and exiting the office, closing the door behind her.

"Now Mr. Quill, I apologize for the secrecy but this is something that we must discuss between the two of us, would you please retake your seat?"

"Actually, I think I'll stand" says Peter, still unsure as to what would require him hearing what the rest of them apparently could not.

"Suit yourself. Now, I'm sure you're familiar with the incident that occurred in our downtown three weeks ago, when this blue globular substance suddenly burst forth and consumed approximately twenty city blocks?"

A sudden lump forms in Peter's throat, he tries to hide it as he says with as confident of a voice as he can muster "yes, I saw the damage first hand last week on our vacation."

"The damage will take years to fix, but thanks to the pause that occurred halfway through it's expansion we were able to evacuate most of our people from the surrounding area before it reached its full size. The substance turned inert shortly after it stopped for a second time, and our scientists have been having a difficult time determining really anything about it except that it has the unusual property of turning whatever matter it consumes into more of itself. If it hadn't stopped expanding I have no doubt that it would have covered our entire planet in a matter of hours." She pauses for a long moment while Peter stands stock still, bracing himself for what he knows is coming next. "We have, however, been able to determine one _unusual_ thing, it contains unique genetic material that when ran through our systems returned one definitive match, or well half-match, I think you can tell what I'm getting at Mr. Quill."

Peter slumps back down into his chair and stares out the window not answering, Nova Prime continues "we also intercepted intelligence reports from the Sovereign at about the same time, detailing their attempts to kill you on a remote planet far out on the rim of the galaxy. I had actually never heard of the planet or it's strange occupant until recently, but after we made the match with you I sent intelligence agents out to gather information, do you know what they found?"

Peter still doesn't answer, so Nova Prime continues, "they found nothing, the entire planet that you had apparently been on gone, vaporized! Now Mr. Quill, since you were instrumental in saving me and everyone else on this world over a year ago I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. But you must tell me what happened!"

Peter sits quietly for some time, staring out the window into the downtown area where a large black patch can still be seen from the high perch of Nova Prime's office. Finally, slowly and quietly, he says "we got into some trouble with the Sovereign, had to make a crash landing on a forested planet. This man, who had just saved us from being blown out of the sky, lands in this great white orb of a ship and claims that he is my father, claimed that he had been searching for me ever since he heard about me holding an infinity stone, claimed that he wanted to take me home and be the father he couldn't be for me all those years ago on Terra. I'll spare a lot of the details because they aren't really important and I don't feel like talking about them here with you, but yes, he was my father, a celestial, a god with a _small g_ as he put it. He wanted to consume all life in the galaxy, make it so he was one and all with everything. Called it his purpose. Called it the Expansion. Needed me to make it happen, said one celestial wasn't enough. I let… he captured me for a while, used me as a battery, that's why it started expanding for the first time. My friends rescued me, severing me from him for a while. Then we traveled to the core of his planet, it was the only way to kill him. He captured me again after we had fought him for a while, but I was able to harness what he called the light, the source of his power, and we were able to destroy him before it was too late for the rest of the galaxy, I suppose. He's dead, the planet went with him, along with one of my old friends. That's really all there is, I'm fully human again, just Peter Quill from Terra."

"My god… a Celestial, I didn't think there were any of that cosmic race left in the galaxy. But your story agrees with all that we know from intelligence reports across the galaxy and what we intercepted from the Sovereign. Are you sure he is dead, this celestial?"

"Yes, he's dead, dissolved into dust in my arms. If that wasn't enough I felt the light dissipate along with him, he's no more."

"Well Mr. Quill" says Nova Prime, composing herself, "I suppose we owe you our thanks once again. If it wasn't for you and your team being in the right place at the right time I doubt we would have been able to evacuate more than a few hundred thousand before this 'expansion' would have covered our entire planet, not to mention most other inhabited planets in the galaxy."

"You don't owe me, not thanks, not anything."

"But Mr. Quill, I don't understand-"

"-He tricked me! I would have been powerless to stop him if the rest of my team wasn't there backing me up, pulling my ass out of the fire when I got too deep. I failed, thank them not me."

Nova Prime is silent at this for a long time and, finally having enough, Peter stands up slowly and walks towards the door. Stopping suddenly and turning on his heel he asks "I need to know… how many died, how many were killed because of the expansion?"

Hesitantly Nova Prime answers "Mr. Quill, I do not think you need to know that-"

"-Yes I do! God… I do. How…many…died?"

"1,115 people."

 **Awesome Mix Vol. 3:** The Grateful Dead - Unbroken Chain

Standing stock still, Peter is frozen in a kind of rigor mortis for a long moment before suddenly snapping out of it, and turning quickly on his heel, races for the door. Reaching for the handle he is interrupted by Nova Prime saying "Mr. Quill, do not blame yourself for their deaths, I do not blame you and you do disservice to their memories by blaming yourself for something you were apparently instrumental in stopping. I do not know what exactly happened on that planet except for what you have told me, and that is enough, but you surround yourself with some of the most talented and skilled people in the galaxy for a good reason. I do not like all of them, especially that abrasive furry one, but I can see what you see in them and what they see in you. Few would have had the strength of body or spirit to hold that infinity stone for as long as you did, and even fewer would have had the courage to say what you have said so openly and honestly here today. You have that strength, but if you have to lean on others and them on you from time to time, do not begrudge the effort but embrace it. You have a great team behind you and they have a great leader in you, it has been enough before and I know it will continue to be."

Peter reaches out for the handle on the door, and pulling it open, does not turn around as he says "It may be enough for them, it's me I'm not so sure about." Stepping outside into the hallway and closing the door behind him he is surprised to see Gamora outside waiting for him, leaning against one of the walls. She walks up to him and he tries to muster a smile, but when it falls flat on his face he turns to walk away until Gamora puts a hand on his arm, forcibly turning him to face her. "What did she want?"

Unsure what to tell her he stands unsurely for some time, avoiding Gamora's gaze, until suddenly blurting out "she knows about Ego."

"What! How?!" asks Gamora, recoiling back in surprise.

Wincing at her reaction Peter says, quietly, "I told her, she figured a lot of it out on her own but she deserved to know. Look... I need to walk for a while, think about things, I'll see you at the party OK?" Not waiting for an answer, he turns and walks away down the hallway towards the elevator, leaving a crestfallen Gamora in his wake.


	4. A Tale Of Two Parties

_Author's Note:_ Chapter 4, and the end of Act 1 for this story. Enjoy, and thanks for the positive feedback to those who have reviewed so far.

* * *

 **Awesome Mix Vol. 3:** Curtis Mayfield - Think

The idle chatter of the rich and famous of Xandar's high society waft up to the balcony where Gamora is standing, observing the guests milling about in the ballroom below her. She had thought about following after Peter when he took off earlier that day visibly upset after whatever he and Nova Prime had talked about but soon, deciding that whatever he had to deal with he needed to do by himself, she had returned to the Milano to get ready for tonight. She had hoped that their conversation the previous night would have helped him get through the crisis of confidence he was suffering from but that thought had been naive she realizes now, it would take more than just her words to stem his worries. Although, now that it had been all day since any of them had seen Peter she is starting to have second thoughts about not saying more to him outside Nova Prime's office. She had heard the end of their conversation, Peter saying 'it may be enough for them, it's me I'm not so sure about' and now, standing here alone on the balcony with nothing but her thoughts, she wonders what he could have meant. What could be enough for them but not for him?

Thinking back to their conversation in the Milano's cockpit last night she remembers how Peter was worried about how his decisions could get one of them killed, that he wasn't strong enough to lead them in the 'serious shit' that they do. But she knows that those are just surface worries, that the real reason Peter is suffering is because he blames himself that he didn't see through Ego's plans before they got people killed. And more egregious than that, at least in Peter's mind, was that when he did realize what was really happening he was too blinded by _eternity_ to stop him, to resist his father. Remembering what he had described to her, that 'place amongst the stars' he had visited twice now and the power he had felt there, made her shudder slightly, recalling memories of Thanos. But Peter was **nothing** like that tyrant, he had a hero's courage and heart, one larger than any she knows. Perhaps that is what troubles her the most she thinks to herself, that one with as good of a soul as him now had to deal with the thoughts that constantly plague her. She knows what judgement the scales of justice would pronounce if they were to weigh her life, all of her life, but she knows that she will keep on fighting, every day if necessary, to at least even the measure. If Peter blames himself for all of the deaths on Xandar, not to mention all the other inhabited worlds that Ego's corrupted hand touched, how would he see his own scales? Would he think them now forever weighted against him? That nothing he could do in the future, no matter how heroic or noble, would return them to his favor? She knew what the measurement was, how many he had saved by fighting and killing his own father, but what if he couldn't or didn't want to see it? And what about Yondu, did he hold his death as another weight against him? She knew that was the last thing the old Ravager captain would have wanted, that it was Yondu's choice to save Peter and not his own fault, but how could he be made to see that? Lost in this long train of thought, Gamora does not notice Drax and Mantis walk up to her side.

"Friend Gamora, why are you not enjoying this event? I noticed you dressed yourself appropriately to attract a mate, are none of these males attracting your interest?"

Gamora, surprised by the question, looks down at the purple silk dress she had rented from a shop in the capital city's fashion district earlier that day. It is indeed very revealing, and even though she had dressed like this before for several infiltration missions, she suddenly feels very embarrassed for having dressed up in such a way. Remembering that she had picked it out to impress Peter for some reason, she wishes now that she had something else to change into, as it is starting to seem that he won't show. Ignoring Drax's question, at least for now, she asks "What about you? Dress pants, nice shoes, but still no shirt?"

"I would never cover up my tattoos" he says, gesturing to the markings coving his chest and neck, "they tell the entire story of my life, there is no better way to begin a conversation with another."

"I think you both look nice; each person can have their own style after all" adds Mantis.

"Thank you, Mantis, you especially look particularly… unique tonight."

Tuning out their banter, although she had been a bit surprised that Drax had not called Mantis ugly again, she surveys the party from where she is standing to try and spot her other teammates. Quickly finding them at the bar she is surprised to see Rocket and Kraglin conversing merrily, apparently swapping stories in front of a small crowd of easily impressed onlookers. Groot stands nearby, adding an occasional "I am Groot" to the conversation, but mostly being content to watch his two friends enjoy each other's company. Letting her eyes wander further over the crowd she spots Nova Prime entering through the main double doors of the ballroom, flanked by several aides and some military brass. Deciding that she needs some answers on what had upset Peter so, she is about to make her way down from the balcony into the ballroom below when she is interrupted by another question, this time from Mantis.

"Gamora, do you know where Peter is? I would like him here, we are celebrating something he was a part of."

"Indeed," agrees Drax, "his presence here would be most acceptable. I thought he would be the one most excited by this opportunity for revelry, but I have not seen him arrive yet."

Sighing, Gamora says "apparently Peter had a very unpleasant conversation with Nova Prime after the rest of us left the meeting earlier today. I do not know what was said but it seemed to upset him because the last time I saw him he said he was going for a walk to clear his head. I am starting to think that he won't show."

"Oh… should we not go look for him, make sure he is ok?"

"No Mantis, I think this is something that Peter needs to deal with on his own terms, in his own way. We will be there for him if he needs it, but right now I think Peter is best left to himself."

"But we are his friends, if he is in pain wandering about the city, should we not seek him out?

"Yes," agrees Drax, "he would be there for us, and it seems distasteful to be celebrating if one of our own cannot be here."

"Look, I don't know what's really for the best and I don't really know what any of us can or should do for him. If either of you want to go look for him than do that, but right now, I'm going to go and talk to Nova Prime to get some answers."

Leaving Drax and Mantis standing on the balcony looking worried Gamora heads down onto the ballroom floor, making a beeline for Nova Prime. What they said had put new worries spinning about in her head, about whether Peter was really safe wandering about the city alone, with dark thoughts in his head. She needed to know what had happened to cause this, and with Nova Prime the only one who could give her the answers she is not looking at her peripheries when she suddenly bumps into someone, knocking the drink out of their hand.

"Oh, I'm very sorry, I didn't see you."

"It is alright, you seem to be in quite a hurry."

The man, dressed in a sharp black suit now stained with the contents of his drink, bends over to pick up his glass, saying "You may not know me but I certainly know who you are, so it is really my honor to meet you, even if I do wish it was under less messy circumstances." Setting his glass back onto the table, he reaches out a hand to shake Gamora's.

Surprised by how nonplussed he is by her ruining what is probably a very expensive suit Gamora takes a moment to take in the man's features. He is very tall with a handsome face, however, she now notices that he has a large scar that extends from his hairline all the way down his forehead to his left eye. The eye itself is white, blinded apparently, after whatever injury he may have suffered. Reaching out to shake his hand she is surprised by the strange rough textures of the glove he is wearing, it seems almost metallic and cold to the touch, but not wanting to cause more embarrassment than she already has, she makes no mention of it.

"I apologize once again for damaging your clothing but I cannot stay to converse, I must talk to someone else immediately."

"Of course, I understand" says the man, releasing her hand from his, "it has been a pleasure meeting you, even like this, please, enjoy the rest of the festivities."

Leaving him behind, still dabbing at parts of his suit with a napkin, Gamora continues her walk across the ballroom floor towards Nova Prime. A sudden voice pops into her ear, "You seem to be in quite a hurry, I'm sure the dress sale will last for a few more hours."

Cupping a hand to her ear to cover up the voice, seriously rethinking whether it was a good idea to insist on the concealed earpieces, she says "Very funny, I hope they checked your ID before giving you that drink Rocket, I'd hate for them to get busted for serving a minor." She looks over to the bar and sees a satisfyingly angry Rocket looking back at her, "hey, if I'm old enough to shoot a gun and save the galaxy then I can drink. But you're avoiding my question, why are you in such a hurry to go somewhere? I saw your handiwork with Mr. Rugged over there and I think he'll be cleaning champagne out of his suit for the next year."

"Gamora, have you found a suitable mate in this Mr. Rugged?" chimes in Drax on his earpiece, "I missed it, but he looks very battle tested with that impressive scar."

"Ok, in the future I'm buying earpieces with a mute option" fumes Gamora.

"Yeah, why are we wearing these things anyways" asks Kraglin "are we expecting trouble?"

"I **am** Groot"

"Be prepared? Be prepared for what? You're sounding a little paranoid buddy" says Rocket.

"Kraglin, we're wearing these because this room currently has most of the Xandarian government inside of it, not to mention ourselves, and is a prime target if anyone wanted to attack it. It's best if we can all talk to each other instantaneously, no matter how _annoying_ that may be."

"I agree with Gamora" says Mantis "it is good to talk to all of you in this way."

"Yeah yeah good to talk with you too, but Gamora you still haven't answered me, what's so important that you had to spill that nice man's drink?"

Gamora sighs, "if you really must know Rocket it's about Peter."

"Yeah, where is Quill? If he's got a better thing going on I want to know about it. Man ditches us for a better party and didn't tell me about it I'll kill him."

"No Rocket, Peter said he needed to go for a walk after talking with Nova Prime earlier today and none of us have seen him since. I am going over to her to find out what has him so bothered."

"Ah… so he's got an underground party he's not telling any of us about, yep, definitely going to kill him."

"Rocket this is serious" says Kraglin "Peter ain't the kind of guy to just go wandering off by himself. Why is this the first I'm hearing about it though?"

"I _am_ Groot."

"You're worried about his mental state? Man, you really are paranoid buddy."

"Kraglin, I haven't mentioned it before because I didn't think it was something the whole team needed to be involved in, that it was something best left to Peter. But now that it's been so long I'm having second thoughts and Nova Prime is the only person who know what they talked about besides him. So, I'm going to talk to her."

"Should one of us not accompany you?" asks Drax, "he is our friend too."

"If this has been a preview of what I can expect from all of your input then no, I think I can handle this by myself. One on one will be easier, besides, you can always listen in. But please, no side comments, I don't want to look like a crazy person talking to myself during a conversation with a head of state." Tuning out any further comments from her teammates Gamora continues across the ballroom.

Nova Prime, currently in conversation with several other people, does not notice Gamora's quickly approaching presence and not wanting to be rude, Gamora waits some distance away, casually checking her surroundings. When Nova Prime finally finishes talking and starts to walk away Gamora quickly moves to intercept her, before anyone else can.

"Oh, good evening Gamora," says Nova Prime, finally noticing her presence, "I hope you are enjoying the festivities?"

Putting on her best diplomatic face Gamora answers "yes I am, thank you once again for inviting me and the rest of my team to your government's party. But, and I don't mean to sound rude, but I noticed that there is a real lack of security inside this venue. With so many important people here are you not worried about some kind of attack?"

"Well we do have you and your team here, so we're not entirely unprotected" she says with cordial laugh, eliciting an uncomfortable smile from Gamora, "but I'm not a novice, we are secured. There are multiple agents outside the building ensuring a safe perimeter and everyone in here has been vetted by our security forces. I learned a long time ago that to show strength to the rich and powerful you must look secured in your position. If I had this place locked up tight it would give the impression that I'm worried, which I'm not."

"That makes good _political_ sense" says Gamora, keeping several thoughts about practically to herself. "However, I do have other business that I need to talk to you about."

"And what may that be?"

"I need to know what you and Peter discussed during your private meeting earlier today."

"Well" says Nova Prime hesitantly, "if Mr. Quill has not shared our conversation with you then I do not know if I should be the one to break with what he apparently wants. You see, he is under no obligation of confidentially."

"I would ask him but he isn't here, no one has seen him since this morning. I had a few brief words with him after your conversation but that was it, and we have no way to contact him without physically going out and looking. So please, I need to know what you talked about."

"Oh my, that does sound troubling. Very well, I'll tell you, but let's go somewhere more private."

Nova Prime leads her through the maze of people, occasionally pausing for a few moments to shake a dignitary's hand, but continuing nonetheless towards a closed door at the back of the ballroom. Opening it and stepping inside a small meeting room with a centrally placed table and chairs and not much else, she closes the door behind her.

"Myself and Mr. Quill earlier today discussed events surrounding the disaster that took place in our downtown several weeks ago. We discovered unique genetic material inside the destructive substance that matched with his DNA and when we tried to trace back his movements beforehand we discovered several troubling items. Intercepted intelligence communications from the Sovereign detailing their chase of you to a planet on the far rim of the galaxy, that planet now apparently being destroyed if our reconnaissance reports are accurate. Mr. Quill detailed what had transpired with this apparent planetoid celestial, his subsequent destruction and the ending of the threat he posed. I was satisfied with his answer as it matched with our own assessment and I had no reason to doubt his honesty or integrity. I personally consider the matter settled."

"Well Peter doesn't consider the matter settled, it's been weighing on him more and more, especially since we returned to Xandar this morning. Is that really all you talked about?"

"Well…no. He was extremely hard on himself, said he was partly responsible, didn't want any of the thanks. He also _insisted_ on knowing the death toll of the disaster, that information seemed to shake him greatly so I tried to reassure him in his actions before he left. Apparently, I was not successful."

"What was the death toll?"

"1,115 people. But you must understand, if that substance had not stopped expanding for those few minutes before continuing again we wouldn't have had the time to evacuate as many as we did. Thousands more easily could have been lost! Not to mention the toll if it had continued unabated to cover our entire planet, as our scientists believe it would have.

"No, I don't think Peter sees it that way, all those people…. I had no idea it was so many."

"Yes, it was a terrible loss, but one that could have been made far worse."

"Ego needed Peter, as his progeny, to complete his plans and I know Peter blames himself for being there, for not seeing through his lies sooner and… for other things. I know he's wrong, and thank you for trying to convince him too, but he doesn't see it like we do. Now if he thinks he has all those deaths hanging over his head… Nova Prime please excuse me but I believe me and my team need to find him, wherever he is."

Heading towards the door of the small meeting room and reaching for the handle the sound of glass breaking and screaming stops her dead in her tracks.

"What the hell was-" a sudden report of gunfire cuts Nova Prime's question short as Gamora braces herself against the door.

"What happening out there," she calls into her earpiece, "can anybody hear me!"

"Yeah we can hear you there's no need to shout" answers a disgruntled Rocket "bunch of mercs just rappelled down from the glass ceiling and shot up the guards, hit a few civilians too."

"Shall we take these criminal fools out" chimes in Drax, "there are only four of them."

"No Drax, everyone hold off, we don't want a firefight in a crowded room" answers Gamora. "I'm in a back-meeting space with Nova Prime right now but I'll head out there in a moment, everyone just try and stay inconspicuous, they may not be here for us."

"I _am_ Groot?"

"Yeah" answers Rocket, "how are me and Groot supposed to be inconspicuous. We don't exactly _blend_ into a crowd of the Xandarian upper class."

"You know what I mean, just don't cause any trouble until we can come up with a good plan."

"I get what you're saying" says Kraglin.

"I also follow this logic" adds Mantis.

"And I get to make the plan" croons Rocket.

"We'll discuss that last one later" Gamora says, as she turns towards Nova Prime. "There's a situation happening out there."

"I gathered that" says Nova Prime irritably, "I need to get out there and resolve things."

"I can't let you do that" says Gamora to a shocked look from Nova Prime, "right now the Guardians are apparently the only security left in this building and it is our duty to keep you safe." Opening the door and stepping outside she turns back to look at Nova Prime "so I'm sorry, but this has to be done." Closing the door behind her on a still speechless Nova Prime she breaks the handle off the door and wedges it closed.

Trying to look as inconspicuous as possible she makes her way back onto the main floor of the ballroom, sticking to edge of the crowd to get a better view of the situation. Up on the balcony to her left two heavily armed men corral the crowd standing there down the wide staircase towards the main floor, and with this complete, they take positions on the stairs with a good shooting position on the rest of the crowd below. Two other mercs stand in the center of the room with raised weapons, pointing them at the cowering civilians all around them. Scanning the room for her friends she spies Rocket and Kraglin still at the bar. Kraglin has his eyes roving around to look at the mercs near him, but otherwise stays inconspicuous in his dress clothes while Rocket, sitting on a bar-stool, disinterestedly takes a sip of his drink, palming a hidden gun in his lap. Continuing to look around she spots Mantis and Drax on the main floor. Mantis, comforting a man who'd been shot, bends over and holds his hand. Drax, however, is quietly making his way across the room to come closer to the two mercs in the center of the crowd, placing himself in a better position to attack if needed. Groot stands stock still in a corner of the room near the staircase, obviously trying not to draw attention to himself. Surprisingly, it seems to be working as no one is paying him any attention. A fifth merc, apparently waiting for the crowd to be secured, rappels down from the ceiling and, landing in the center of the room, begins to speak.

"Sorry for the rude interruption to your party but me and my comrades weren't on the guest list. Now, I'm going to keep this as simple as possible. We're here for the ceremonial dagger, so if we get that promptly we'll get out of your way as soon as possible. Also, I happen to know that Nova Prime is somewhere in the building. She **will** bring herself to me at once or else people in this room start dying. Now, I think those terms are fair.

"We don't negotiate with thugs like you!" Calls out a balding man from the crowd.

Without a word the mercenary unholsters his sidearm and fires a shot cleanly through the man's head, sending various bits of matter scattering out over the crowd. Over screams of panic he continues, "now that everyone know how I deal with dissension we should be able to move things along more quickly. Now, where is Nova Prime!"

Ducking behind a pillar at the edge of the room Gamora raises a hand to her earpiece "Alright, this has gone far enough. We need to end this right now!"

"I've got you covered" says Rocket, "everyone listen up because this is going to get good. Groot, get under the staircase and quietly send some vines out to grab those two assholes on the stairs and Drax, get as close as possible to that guy standing to the right of our trigger-happy friend, take him out on go. I've got a bead on the leader from where I'm sitting so he's mine. The guy on his left can be Kraglin's target, shoot him dead with that pistol I know you have secreted away in your jacket. Mantis keep your head down."

"What about me?"

"I haven't forgotten you Gamora, you're our distraction. Also, there are at least four people blocking clear line of sight to me and Kraglin's targets. Mantis, on go, pull down the two people nearest you, and keep them low. Gamora, you'll have to do the same with the targets blocking Kraglin. Preferably pretty soon because that guy looks like he's about to kill someone else."

Looking back, she sees that he does indeed have his gun pointed at the head of a young man, cowering at the ground beneath him.

"Alright, since Nova Prime has failed to appear and we already have the dagger secured I'm changing the terms of our deal. For every minute that she fails to appear I'll kill one of these whimpering SOBs, and seeing as the first minute is almost up I guess it's your time to go buddy."

Realizing that she needs to act fast Gamora calls out "Wait, take me as a hostage instead!"

"Well, well" says the merc, looking her up and down, "I'm intrigued."

"I'm surprised you didn't shoot me" she says, keeping her hands raised and walking purposely towards the center of the room.

"Nah, I could never shoot such a pretty thing as yourself" he says, smiling greedily, "but why should I take you?"

Speaking slowly and with purpose she says "My name is Gamora, I am -was- a daughter of Thanos, and he will pay an exorbitant fee for my return to him. I am also a Guardian of the Galaxy, responsible for great material losses to several criminal organizations and nation states across the galaxy, any one of them would pay a great price for my delivery to them."

"Well now, that is quite a resume" he says, with a crooked smile, "but I ain't interested in dealing with that madman, money or no. And while I'm sure there are several large bounties on your head, I do know of you by reputation, none of them will be as large as the price on Nova Prime's. But seeing as she has failed to and appear, and seeing as the minute is up, I guess it's our friend's time here to die."

Gamora tenses every muscle in her body and, taking a quick moment to check if her teammates are ready, begins to call out the word go when suddenly-

 **Awesome Mix Vol. 3:** The Rolling Stones - Jumpin Jack Flash

Everyone stands confused for a long moment, listening to the opening bars of the song blast out from every speaker in the room. Gamora is the first to react, blurting out "Oh shit, what is he doing!?" Picking up on this the mercenary levels his gun at Gamora and shouts "You've got three seconds to tell me what the **HELL** this noise is or I blow the back of your head off with a bullet!"

"It's _The Rolling Stones_ you idiot, and you better stop pointing that gun at my friend."

Everyone turns to face the voice as, standing in the now open main door, Peter grins and waves at Gamora. "Sorry I'm late, it seems I missed a few things."

Muttering under her breath that he has the worst possible timing, Gamora tries to signal non-verbally that he is jeopardizing their plan. Not seeming to register this Peter begins walking towards the lead mercenary, who now has his weapon aimed squarely at Peter's chest. Ignoring this, Peter declares "you've got a pretty nice setup here, but now you have to contend with me! And you better not make a mess of this suit, I just rented it, and it's _really_ expensive."

"While I can appreciate the theatricality you better tell me right now why I shouldn't shoot you."

"Alright, I will!"

Silence.

"And?" asks the perplexed mercenary.

"Oh, I don't really have a reason. I just wanted to get to this part in the song- NOW!"

Several things happen at once.

Groot, who during this whole exchange had been slowly extending his vines around the feet of the two mercs on the stairs, now hurls them with incredible force, sending one of them flying against the far wall with a sickening crunch while the other crashes into the bar sending bottles and glasses flying and crashing to the ground.

Drax, who had been smiling in anticipation ever since the music started, removes the concealed knife from his leg and in one smooth motion decapitates the nearest mercenary, laughing wildly as he does so.

Mantis on the word "NOW" grabs the two people near her who had been standing and pulls them down to the ground, freeing up the line of sight for Rocket. Gamora does the same to the two people blocking Kraglin's shot, tackling them to the ground.

Kraglin takes his shot and sends a superheated bolt of plasma through the chest of his target, killing him instantly.

Rocket fires from the hip, not spilling a drop from his glass, as his shot impacts the leader squarely in the back. But when the mercenary's hidden armor under his suit jacket deflects Rocket's shot up into the ceiling, leaving him unscathed, he does not have time to load another shot.

Gamora, still on the ground, jumps up and rushes toward the mercenary but Peter, seeing this as well, breaks out in a full sprint towards him, quickly sliding on his knees to avoid several shots fired in his direction. Thinking fast, Peter fires off his rocket boots, sending him hurtling through the air towards the thoroughly surprised mercenary. Just as he is about to reach him the merc lowers his gun and chambers another round, prepared to send this one straight through the chest of the quickly approaching Peter. Gamora, not being fast enough to reach him, yells Peter's name to warn him about his peril but it's too late, for as they make contact a gunshot rings out and the two of them go hurtling through the crowd, intertwined, propelled by the momentum of Peter's rocket boots. Gamora has just enough time to dive out of the way as they go tearing past her and through the back wall of the ballroom, into the small meeting space she had just been in.

"Peter!" Gamora screams, hearing the last gunshot and frightful of what may have happened. All of the Guardians rush to where the two of them came to rest, and entering through the hole in the wall, find Peter lying apparently lifeless on top of the mercenary. Fearing the worst Gamora grabs Peter and quickly turns him over, expecting to find a gunshot wound she instead finds his face smiling back up at her. Looking over at the mercenary for the first time she is surprised to find that he has a gaping hole in the side of his head, apparently from a bullet hole. Gamora turns back towards the crowd in time to see the man whose suit she had ruined earlier reholster a concealed weapon in the linings of his suit jacket. She is interrupted from going over to thank him by Peter proclaiming "Alright, I admit that wasn't my finest moment, but everything worked out-"

-Gamora, hauling him up from his sitting position, promptly socks him in the chest and practically yelling she says "you almost got yourself killed! If you heard our plan and knew we had it ready to go why did you interrupted it with your dam musical theater!?"

"I didn't **know** you guys had a plan" insists Peter, rubbing his chest but still smiling.

"What! Then why did you call out the word NOW!?"

"Because I **trusted** you guys would have something ready, and I was right, wasn't I?"

This quiets Gamora. Drax however, lets out a booming laugh. "Friend Quill, that was indeed quite the spectacle! That fool's face when you activated your rocket boots, he was not expecting such audacity!" He moves over and embraces Peter in a bear like hug.

"Glad you're alright Pete, even if that was pretty dumb"

"Thanks Kraglin" wheezes Peter, the breath nearly crushed out of him by Drax's strangling hug.

"I **am** Groot"

"Yeah, I'm glad he's OK too" echos Rocket "haven't filled out a life insurance policy on you yet so I'd hate to see you bite it before I can make the proper arrangements."

"Ahem" calls out a voice from the corner of the room. They all turn to see Nova Prime standing there, looking quite disheveled but otherwise unharmed. "Thank you once again for saving us, even if I was almost flattened by the two of you crashing through that wall a minute ago. Now, I need to go deal with the mess and dead bodies, if you'll excuse me." She walks, with as much dignity she can muster, back into the ballroom and the stunned crowd.

"What was Nova Prime doing here?" asks a befuddled Peter.

This rouses Gamora for her silence, "we were here talking about you. Which brings me to an important question, the last time I saw you I didn't think you'd be in the mood for such 'heroics', what changed?"

"Lets, uh, talk about that somewhere else. I don't feel like discussing it over this dude's dead body" he says, gesturing towards the lifeless merc, "especially since he got his blood on my suit, I told him not to mess it up!"

"Is it back to the Milano then?" asks Mantis.

"Actually, no" answers Peter with a sly smile, "I have something even better set up."

As they all exit out of the hole in the wall back into the ballroom proper Gamora scans the crowd for the scarred man who had saved Peter's life with a well-timed shot, thinking that she should thank him for his actions. But he has vanished.

* * *

"Ta-da!" Peter says, throwing open the wide double doors of a massive top story penthouse. "I called before we landed on Xandar and booked this place for all of us! It's got four bedrooms, a massive kitchen, a hot-tub, and a balcony overlooking the city! And it was only… well it was pretty expensive to be honest… kind of a stupid decision now that I think about it… but after spending a week cooped up in the Milano we all deserve some space and fine linens. So anyways, what do you guys think?

"It is quite spacious" says Drax to an accompanying nod from Mantis.

"I better not be paying for this; unlike you 'humies' I don't need all the space."

"No Rocket, this is only coming out of my share of our recent profits."

"Good, then in that case I'm going to take full advantage of the liquor cabinet."

"I **am** Groot!"

"Thank you Groot, at least some of you are appreciative. Now, if you will all excuse me, I'm going to take full advantage of that hot tub!"

"Peter, before you use this warm bath, whatever that is, I think there is something you need to discuss with _all_ of us" says Gamora, tapping her foot impatiently.

"That's right, thank you Gamora for reminding me. The liquor is located on the top shelf of the pantry so, Rocket, if you need a boost I'm here for you-"

"-YOU SON OF A-"

"-You know dam well that is not what I mean Peter," says Gamora, cutting off Rocket's rant.

"I know, I just couldn't help myself. Look… today has been weird for me, I should have been there for you guys tonight when things went south at that party and I'm sorry. But recently… well I don't know… what do you do when your father turns out to be a homicidal planet?" As Peter speaks he leads all of them out onto the balcony of the penthouse. "We do good, things that I never would have imagined a year ago, but I made a mistake with Ego. I was blind to what he wanted, and maybe the rest of us were too, but that doesn't excuse my error." Looking out over the city he continues "a lot of people died, here, and on other worlds like this one. I couldn't shake the idea that maybe I am not the person to lead us, that I'm not strong enough, so I went for a long walk today…"

* * *

 **Awesome Mix Vol. 3:** Marvin Gaye - Mercy Mercy Me

The streets of Xandar's downtown bustle with the traffic of an early evening, people dipping in and out of shops to peruse the many fine wares littering the walls and shelves of each store. Restaurants with the enticing smell of freshly cooked food wafting out of open doors, luxury shops with many finely woven and expensive accessories arranged on window displays, and electronic stores with the latest gadgets flashing, inviting many young ones inside to admire and ogle. In the midst of all this bustle a lone figure trudges down the sidewalk, headphones placed firmly over his ears, nary a care for all the people or places passing him by. He had been walking for hours, putting off what he knew he had to see, but now, nearing the end of the day with tired feet and legs, he is heading inexorably to what had brought him out wandering. Passing what marks the end of the more fashionable district of downtown bars and nightclubs begin appearing, still closed or mostly empty in the early evening light. Continuing further the buildings around him begin showing signs of damage, boarded up windows, walls damaged by fire. Passing by Loose Legs, which unsurprisingly is open and doing a pretty good business of only the most disreputable people, he only has a few more blocks to go before reaching what he seeks. Slowing down as he approaches the cordoned off section of the street, the buildings here severely damaged, likely never to open again, he comes upon the great blackened circle left by Ego's expansion. Stretching nearly a mile in all directions, the buildings that once stood here vaporized along with all the people that had been enjoying a peaceful night. The devastation is still teaming with workers cleaning up and removing the last residue of the carnage and destruction. Near the barrier marking where the expansion had stopped symbols of those who perished lay displayed by the family members of those who lost loved ones. Bouquets of flowers, some wilted, others freshly laid, stand adorned with ribbons and names while pictures showing the smiling faces of people from a multitude of races are propped up on tables or chairs. Notes attached to mementos or other keepsakes line the barricade and damaged buildings, each detailing loss and heartbreak for all those who wrote them. Leaning against the barricade and gazing out into the still blackened devastation, the man hangs his head and stands there for a long while, lost in a deep contemplation. Finally arising from his thoughts, he walks over to where pen and paper have been laid out for mourners and, taking it into his hands, begins to write a simple note.

 _I could've stopped this but didn't  
_ _Wasn't strong enough  
_ _Let them all die  
_ _Won't let it happen again  
_ _Won't give myself the chance to make the same mistake  
_ _It ends here  
_ _No one should have the power to do such horror  
_ _I'm sorry, for what that's worth_

Setting the pen down with shaking hands he attaches the back of his note to the barricade where it rests along with all the other notes of sorrow. Suddenly, he notices the faint sounds of quiet sobbing emanating from his right and turning towards the sound he realizes that he is not alone. A young woman dressed all in black stands at the far end of the barrier with her head bowed, quietly crying into a white handkerchief. Not wanting to disturb her more than he already has he turns to go, but in his haste, he bumps into a display containing a framed photograph of a smiling man dressed in a suit, knocking it to the ground in a loud clatter. Cursing under his breath at his clumsiness he bends over and picks up the photograph, replacing it gingerly on the table where it had been resting. Looking back over at the woman and hoping she hadn't seen that, he is surprised to see that she is staring at him intently with large brown eyes and an open mouth, apparently frozen with surprise. Feeling ashamed that maybe he had knocked over a picture of someone she knew, he turns and begins walking away quickly, hoping to avoid any nasty words she may have for him. When she calls out, asking him to wait, he walks even faster because now he definitely knows that he damaged a picture of someone she cared about.

"Wait, Wait! Star-Lord, I want to talk to you, please stop!"

Hearing his outlaw name stops him in his tracks as almost subconsciously a flood of memories passes before his waking mind. The woman, following after him in a near run, comes around to his front and, taking in his confused face with her eyes, says "I knew it was you!" Before enveloping him in a suffocating hug.

Now really surprised, as that was not at all the reaction he was expecting, he slowly reciprocates the hug before gently separating the woman from him with both hands. Looking back into the woman's brown eyes, still misty from fresh tears, he asks "you called me Star-Lord, how do you know that name?"

"Everyone on Xandar knows that name" she says with a shrug "you saved all of us almost a year ago, saved me and my fiancé, everyone!"

Replying with a small smile he says "well I didn't do it alone, but I didn't think people would know my face."

"Well I guess most wouldn't" she says sheepishly "but I was here in the city when the Dark Aster came down, actually really near, took the top half off the building I was hiding in. After it was over I went to investigate the wreckage, look for survivors, and I saw you face down that mad Kree with those unusual pelvic moves. Then that crazy purple light show happened, after which he was gone and the rest of you were still standing, got a good look at you and the rest of your team then. I can't believe I'm meeting you, here of all places! Did you… did you lose anyone a few weeks ago, is that why you're here at the mourner's line?"

Thinking back to Yondu's frozen corpse suspended in space above the dying embers of Ego's planet he swallows a sudden lump in his throat before saying "yeah I lost someone really special, it wasn't here exactly but it was because of here that he died."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't pry like that, it's not my place."

"No, it's alright" he says, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I imagine you're here for a similar reason."

"Yeah… after your team saved all of us I took it as a sign and got married to my fiancé of two years a few weeks later. I actually just gave birth to our first child about a month ago, he's a young healthy baby boy."

"Oh wow, that's amazing! How are the two, or three, of you doing?"

Hanging her head mournfully she says "Charles, my husband, was out with friends celebrating a promotion at work, he was in one of the bars that was destroyed. I just came from the funeral, it's why I'm still wearing all black."

A lance of pain stabs through Peter's heart as, his breath catching in his throat, he stands numb to the world for a few moments, staring blankly in front of him.

"Are you alright, you look really ill?"

Slowly returning to his senses he can't bear to look at the woman, instead keeping his gaze firmly down the street towards the mourner's line and the destruction beyond. "It's all my fault" he says through choked breaths "I let this happen, I'm responsible."

"What! I don't understand. How are you responsible?"

"I was in a position to stop all of this, but I was tricked, I let myself get in the way. Now all those people, your husband, are dead. I can't be a hero anymore, if I ever was one. I made the mistake and I keep learning the consequences, every day it seems to get worse. I'm cut from the wrong cloth, should've just stuck to being an outlaw, being Star-Lord, not a Guardian of the Galaxy."

Silence hangs over them for a long while, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Peter, left trapped in his mind, continues staring blankly ahead. Frozen on the outside, turmoil raging on the inside. The mourning woman, remembering the times she had spent with her husband in that brief year, and all the pain that had followed that fateful day thinks of what she should say to this man who claimed to be responsible his death.

"I forgive you."

"What!?"

"I forgive you. I don't know what you mean by saying you're responsible, or what happened to make you say that, but I know that if you weren't here a year ago all of us would have died a fiery death. I got to spend the best year of my life with my husband and that is because of **you** …. He's dead, and it hurts like nothing else, but at least I had that time, no matter how brief. And he lives on through our child, he lives on through my memory, he lives on because I will never forget what he meant to me and me to him. He gave me a son, and if me and everyone else had died that day the Dark Aster came to Xandar I never would have been able to experience such joy, no matter the pain that followed. The galaxy needs heroes like you and if that means shouldering the burden if things go wrong, that you have to be the one to carry the sins of others, I am sorry."

"Do you think… it gets easier?"

"I don't know, the biggest problems I have are pretty mundane… the last few weeks being a terrible exception of course. But I don't blame you, and you shouldn't keep this on your shoulders, no matter what happened. I know from news reports that the destruction paused for a few minutes after starting, allowing a lot of people to be evacuated before it's second wave hit, I assume that was your team's doing?"

"Yeah," says Peter slowly, "the man who caused this needed me as a crucial part of his plan and when he lost control of me the first time it stopped the expansion, for a while. The second time I was able to overpower him, one of my teammates killed him."

"See, even if you made a mistake you were able to overcome it. That's what hero's do, overcome."

"But should I be the one? I'm no saint, I'm not perfect, I've made mistakes before and this one got all these good people killed. What if the next one kills even more, what if I'm not strong enough?"

"I think being able to admit that mistake makes you strong. If you didn't have any remorse over this I think that would show actual weakness and be more troubling, being cold and numb to all this. And making mistakes is just a part of life, it's just that the problems you have to deal with are life and death so any errors are magnified. Don't lose faith in yourself over this, the galaxy needs you to be what me and the rest of Xandar see you as, a hero."

A long silence falls once more over their conversation. Peter keeps his eyes firmly focused on the mourner's line and the destruction beyond, weighing an important choice in his mind. "Okay" he says with finality, returning his gaze to the woman standing before him, "I'll keep trying. Maybe I can't save them all, my mistakes will always have consequences and I'm still not sure how to deal with that yet. But… I can't see myself standing aside and letting something like this happen again if I could be there to stop it, mistakes and all. A good friend of mine died to give me that chance, I can't let his memory go to waste because of my own fears. He saw something in me and even if I don't see it in myself I'll keep trying to honor him in what I do. It's all I can do…

"It's all any of us can do" she says, once again wrapping him in a tight hug. The time Peter returns the gesture fully as they stand there quietly embraced for a long moment. Finally separating, Peter spares one more glance back at the destruction before turning away from it fully, facing resolutely away from it.

"Thanks for, um, I don't know, talking. I can't say if I would be so forgiving of someone."

"It not exactly easy, maybe anyone else and I wouldn't have, but I've seen your strength of character and the remorse you show for me, my family, and everyone else who lost people. There's was no use venting my anger at someone who doesn't deserve it. Besides, we all need people like you, people who can bear burdens for doing the things few have the strength of body and spirit to do. I'm glad I was able to talk to you, to know there's a humble person behind the face I saw a year ago, and to know that he's still out there, fighting for people like me."

"It was good talking to you too, and for what it's worth, I think the galaxy needs more people like you as well. It takes real strength to forgive and I needed some of that strength tonight to forgive myself, and you gave me that, thank you."

They embrace once again, much more briefly this time, and after separating Peter takes an offhand look at the time.

"Oh crap! I'm supposed to be at this big fancy party with my team right now, I'm late," looking at the time more closely he adds, "wow I am super late."

"You should go, I have nothing else to see here anyways so I should head home too."

Unsure of what to say next Peter stands there for a moment, bouncing on the balls of his feet. The woman, smiling slightly at this display of unsureness, says "I'll be alright, you don't have to walk me home or anything. Go, be with your friends."

"Thanks" says Peter, turning to walk hurriedly down the street, already thinking about where he'll be able to get a suit to impress Gamora this late in the day, "and thanks again for talking to me!"

"Sure thing" she calls out at his already disappearing form in the night, "just glad to know you are still out there… Star-Lord."

* * *

After Peter had finished his story he invited the rest of Guardians inside the penthouse to drink of the ample booze, telling them to "enjoy their crazy selves." But soon after the revelry had started he had quietly slipped out onto the balcony to sit alone, watching over the city. Most of the them had not paid any mind to this, too absorbed in their conversations to notice the missing Peter, but Gamora had seen him leave, her eyes on him ever since he had finished his tale. And now, after almost an hour, she too slips out of the party, opening the sliding glass door and stepping outside onto the balcony of the penthouse where Peter is sitting in a recliner, sipping on a drink he had prepared. Another chair sits beside him, unoccupied, and Gamora eyes it for a moment before shaking the idea from her mind. Instead, walking over to stand near Peter's chair, he seems to notice her presence.

"You're probably pretty mad at me" he says, taking a sip from his mixed drink, "and I probably deserve it."

"I'm not mad" says Gamora quietly.

Peter continues, "I shouldn't have come in guns a'blazin earlier tonight, but sometimes the urge is irresistible! You know, that uncontrollable desire to do something unbelievably heroic and-"

"-I said I'm not mad Peter!" says Gamora much louder.

"Oh, well…that's good. Why are you out here then?"

"Can't two friends just talk?" Gamora asks as she moves into the chair opposite Peter.

"Sure, absolutely… about what?"

After a long pause as if thinking of an answer Gamora shakes her head, "I have no idea"

"Me neither" says Peter, laughing.

Gamora shares a smile, then asks "Why aren't you inside with the rest of us?"

"Today's been enough excitement for me" says Peter with a melancholy expression, "besides, I'm not really in much of a mood for heavy drinking." Setting his glass down with surprising force and looking at Gamora he says "you know, there was a time when I wouldn't miss a party like this for anything. I used to stay up until the morning drinking Ravager cocktails that are way harder and worse than this" he says, gesturing to his mixed drink on the table top next to his chair. "What's happening to me? Am I getting soft?"

To this Gamora bursts out laughing, startling Peter nearly out of his seat.

"I don't see what's so funny" says a now slightly irritated Peter to Gamora's continued laughing.

"Peter, you're getting older" says Gamora, finally bringing her mirth under control. "It's called maturing, I believe every sentient species does it."

"Is that even possible for me?" asks Peter, drawing another long round of laughter from Gamora.

"A year ago I would have said no, but now, I guess anything is possible."

After Gamora's laughter subsides again Peter says, with a wry smile on his face "you know what, I think you've changed too."

"How's that?" asks Gamora, still chuckling quietly.

"The woman I met a year ago never would have laughed at something _I_ said, let alone twice."

This quiets Gamora, as they both look at each other.

"It's like you said" says Peter, emphasizing each word, "anything is possible."

They continue looking at each other for some time, Peter with a warm smile on his face, Gamora carrying an expression lined with trepidation.

Gamora is the first to break eye contact, saying "It's not possible Peter."

Standing up to walk away her hand is grasped by Peter, and standing he says "you don't know that Gamora."

"Yes I do! I can't, we can't, have whatever it is you think we can."

"People can be happy Gamora, and we're people, so I don't see why-"

"-but we're not just people Peter!" says Gamora, wrenching her hand away from his. "We don't have time for this, not with all the important-"

"-you know what" says Peter with sudden anger "I think you just don't want to be happy!"

"That's… that's not true Peter."

"I think it is! But… you have to let someone in at some point, it doesn't have to be me, but if you ever want to be happy it has to happen sometime Gamora. Maybe it's the 'maturity' talking but I want you to make a decision right now, because I can't stand this beating around the bush any longer. If you don't want to explore whatever we may have, so be it, I'll leave you be and we can keep on saving the galaxy. But I need an answer now because I can't take it any longer! Either you want to be happy with me… or not."

"That's not fair Peter, I can't answer now" says Gamora, studying her hands.

"No, it may not be fair, but I need to know now or it'll drive me insane!"

Gamora does not answer for a long time, instead racking her brain for the answer. Peter's words had hurt, but the more she thought, the more she saw some truth in them. The first time she had felt some sense of purpose was when she had joined with this band of misfits to confront Ronan the Accuser and when she had seen Peter being torn apart by the infinity stone, something had compelled her to reach out and face death standing there with him. When Rocket had said Peter was still down on the planet fighting Ego, such a sensation had flown through her veins, what was it? Then there were his eyes, she would never forget how beautiful they looked close up after he had saved her outside Knowhere, the first time anyone had shown her such bravery for her own life. Could she find some happiness in this Terran? It didn't seem possible, but anything…

"I can't" says Gamora, drawing a deflated sigh from Peter.

"Very well" he says, "at least I know-"

"-I can't deny that I feel something for you. Maybe it can be something more, I don't know… but I wouldn't want to discover it with anyone other than you."

Peter stares dumbfounded, making Gamora look at him puzzled.

"Aren't you happy?"

 **Awesome Mix Vol. 3:** Otis Redding – Try A Little Tenderness

Peter suddenly runs over to Gamora, and picking her up in a bear hug twirls her around saying "I am sooo happy right now!"

"Put me down right now or I'll break your neck."

"Right sorry, too much too fast" says Peter, gently setting her back down. "Got to be mature, so um, will you have this dance milady?"

"Dance?" asks Gamora surprised. "Here? Now? But Peter, someone inside might see us!"

"I know, and I don't care, neither should you. They're our friends and they'll be happy for us, and if Rocket tries to badger us, well, I'll just shave him."

"He'd kill you for that" laughs Gamora.

"He would, but it'd still be worth it. So, I ask again, can I have this dance?" Peter extends his hand and after only a moment's hesitation Gamora takes it in hers as they move closer together, slowly swaying to the music. Peter's left hand grasping her right, he moves his free hand to wrap around her waist while Gamora rests her left hand on his chest.

"I don't mean to push" chuckles Peter, "but you seem like you've done this before."

"I'm not a novice Peter, I had to learn to dance for an assassination mission several years ago."

"Oh wow, that sounds interesting. Can you tell me about it?"

"Sure, but you have to try and keep your hips moving in time with mine, it messes up my rhythm."

"Oh, sorry" laughs Peter, matching her movements.

"Anyways, I was tasked with eliminating a petty warlord who was terrorizing the planet Lizbeth, enslaving whole swaths of the population and wrecking the ecosystem, that sort of thing. Usually this is just the kind of person Thanos likes to collect, someone with moderately sized forces that can be easily manipulated with money and victims. But Thanos wanted him dead, apparently he had insulted him which was a huge mistake because then I got sent to kill the man. He was hosting a large dinner and dance for a bunch of rich and powerful people from across the galaxy, I guess he was trying to make himself more presentable, a despot with class. But it was a perfect opportunity to strike as out on the dance floor he would be away from his usual cohort of guards. So Thanos sent me to be instructed at a prestigious dance school for several weeks before the mission in order for me to be talented enough to attract his attention during the dance. My instructor was very… strict, but I learned quickly, and was ready the night of the dance. Some forged papers and a skimpy dress and I was passed the guards, making my way across the dancefloor towards him-"

"-How skimpy was the dress?"

"Don't interrupt me. I started dancing near him with this stranger I had pulled out of the crowd and sure enough he noticed me real fast. Maybe it was the 'dress' but I like to believe he was impressed with my technique. But soon he asked for my hand and we were dancing to a slow song, much like we are now."

"Sounds romantic."

"Not really, I had a shaped charge palmed in my hand and when we got really close" she says, moving closer to Peter, "I stuck it to his jacket and leapt away, detonating it before I landed, it left a footlong hole in his chest."

"You're not planning on a repeat performance tonight, are you?" asks Peter, noticing how close they're standing and how Gamora has her hand resting on his lapel.

"Not tonight no" says Gamora snickering, opening her hand and showing it empty.

"Good, in that case" Peter says, spinning Gamora out to arm's length and then pulling her back in "I'd like to show you why I was named third best dancer at Vullson's dance bar last year."

Gamora laughs as they continue dancing, their movements framed against the bright light coming out of the Penthouse's windows. And if any of that room's inhabitants had happened to look out onto the balcony, in that instant they would have seen the joy of two people separated from the troubles of the world, of their own lives, in a blissful flash of companionship. But none see it, except for the two souls it matters most to as they continue their waltz, long after the song ends.


	5. The Long Fall

All is quiet inside the penthouse and out, both still sleeping in the morning light. Mantis, after enjoying the festivities for a while, had retreated to a room for rest and now sleeps peacefully, stretched out on a bed many times larger than herself. Drax and Kraglin however had each taken-up Rocket's offer for a game of cards and had set up a makeshift operation on the kitchen table. Groot had stayed out of the game at Rocket's insistence, due to his penchant for eating the playing cards, but he had returned the favor twofold by pointing out several times Rocket's attempts to cheat. But it hardly mattered, as in no less than an hour Drax and Kraglin had lost pretty much anything of value they had on them to Rocket's adept play. It almost turned ugly after he had joked that Drax couldn't even bet the shirt off his back to stay in the game, but cooler heads had prevailed to keep them separated and prevent Peter from having to pay the security deposit on the penthouse. And after a few more drinks with stories of past adventures being passed around, all of them had passed out on the numerous comfy couches littered about the place.

Now, awakening from a previously drunken stupor surprisingly clear headed, his cybernetic enhancements metabolizing the alcohol quickly, Rocket moves to the fridge to get some refreshments. Opening it and doing a quick calculation in his head as to the amount of Peter's money they had spent last night drinking Rocket chuckles to himself as he grabs a bottle of water. Cracking the bottle open and downing it in several large gulps he surveys his surroundings, which are surprisingly damage free from their partying last night. All the rest of the Guardians are still asleep, the door to Mantis's room being closed while Drax and Kraglin continue to snore loudly from separate couches. Groot meanwhile has taken up by a window, dozing quietly while enjoying the morning sun.

Rocket decides it's time to figure out what to do for breakfast as his stomach is starting to grumble, and remembering that Peter had spent most of the night outside with Gamora, he opens the sliding glass door to talk to him. Stepping outside he sees Peter stretched out on a comfortable looking couch fast asleep, while the opposing couch is noticeable empty. With a devious idea popping into his head, Rocket scampers up to the empty couch and climbs up onto it, making as little noise as possible. Then from his seat across from him he puts on his most feminine voice and coos "Peter, wake up Peter."

Stretching from his prone position and letting out a long sigh he answers woozily "Good morning" before opening his eyes fully, and nearly jumping out of his skin, he exclaims "Rocket!"

"Good morning sunshine, were you expecting someone else?" Rocket cackles, doubled over in laughter.

"Yes" says Peter, settling back down onto the couch, "someone with less fur and a better attitude."

"Ouch" says Rocket, feigning hurt, "you really know how to punch for the gut."

Peter, looking back into the penthouse, says "Yeah yeah, have you seen Gamora?"

"Nah, she ain't inside. I for one hope she's out getting some breakfast, drinking all your booze and partying really worked up an appetite." Noticing Peter's crestfallen expression he asks, "you feeling good Quill?"

"Yeah" says Peter, a smile gracing his lips, "I feel the best I have in weeks. But if you want some food you can call room service, this hotel apparently has a great kitchen."

"I might do that" says Rocket, although he doesn't move from his position on the couch. Peter stretches back out on his and pulls out a data pad from his jacket pocket, saying "we'll have to decide what to do with this today, the Collector probably wouldn't want us waiting another day."

"Why do you have that on you?" asks a surprised Rocket.

"I grabbed it when we left the Milano yesterday for our meeting with Nova Prime and I haven't been back to the ship yet, so here it is. Besides, I rented this place before we landed, so I kind of figured we would be spending the night here. Have you changed your opinion on turning it on yet?"

"Hell no, I don't trust that bastard at all. We got a good thing going here, I say we let it ride for a few days longer, finish that vacation we started."

"I don't know if I could afford that" mutters Peter, turning the data pad over and over in his hands.

"Yesterday you told me this was a one-time thing" says Rocket, gesturing to the two couches.

"Believe me I thought it was Rocket, I guess anything's possible though." A lull falls in their conversation before Peter says "you know, in a few days it'll be a year since me and you met."

"Yeah, I was trying to catch a bounty on you. Hit you pretty good with a shock charge though didn't I?"

"That hurt like crazy" winces Peter.

"Yeah" laughs Rocket "it was real funny too."

 **Awesome Mix Vol. 3** : Jethro Tull – Wond'ring Aloud

"Yeah, real funny… are you proud of what we've done, you know as a team?"

"Proud? Well we've made plenty of units and only managed to piss off several galactic governments along the way, I'd call that a good deal. But I think you've come out of this past year better than all of us."

"How's that?"

"Well, you've gone from a petty thief being shot at by the likes of me and Groot to the leader of a band of super-a'holes, on a first name basis with a lot of powerful people, and now you apparently have a girlfriend, which must be nice."

"Woah, wait a minute, Gamora isn't… well I don't think she'd call it that. In fact, if she heard you call me her boyfriend something would be thrown at your head even faster than yesterday."

"Oh, I know, it's why I'm saying it when she's not here. You're a lucky man dude... just don't blow it."

"I don't intend to" says Peter, tossing the data-pad up into the air before catching it. "You ever loved someone Rocket?"

"Oh sure… once for 500 units, a couple more times for 1,000, and on one occasion I even paid 1,500, can you believe that! She sure was nice though, let me-"

"-Dude, Rocket! I'm not talking about prostitutes, and **please** don't tell me whatever you did to that poor woman-"

"-Poor woman!? She was rich after I paid her for-"

"-STOP! Just stop dude, that's not what I meant."

"Well you've got to phrase your questions more clearly!" says Rocket indigently, "How I have a better understating of language than you will never cease to amaze me."

"Hey, I only got to finish the fourth grade! You know what, it doesn't matter. What I was asking was have you ever _loved_ someone."

"Oh, _LOVE_! Well when you put it that way, yes I have, and it's none of your dam business."

"Come on Rocket, you must have some good stories."

"Stories, yes. Good? No."

"Alright, I'll take your word for it, no more questions from me."

They stay lounging in their chairs for some time, Peter once more turning the data pad over and over in his hands while Rocket slowly pulls apart the stitching on one of the chair pillows. Standing up and walking over to the railing of the balcony he hurls the pillow over the edge.

"Why did you do that?"

"I dunno, I just wanted to see it fall" answers Rocket, as he watches the pillow sway back and forth in the breeze until it lands softly on the ground many stories below.

He continues looking at the ground, "Quill" he says, gesturing for the man to join him, "come look at this."

"What could be so interesting about a pillow?" asks Peter, as he nevertheless joins him at the railing. However, he immediately sees what drew Rocket's attention, four Armored Personal Carriers stand hovering just off the ground outside of the hotel, soldiers piling out of them and into the lobby. As a fifth one pulls up he asks "that's weird, I wonder what they're here for?"

Rocket turns to look at Peter and with sudden realization spawning on his face he answers, "US!"

Just then a gunship, hovering at the level of the balcony comes sweeping around the side of the hotel. Rocket and Peter, acting almost instinctually, run away from the railing and dive over their chairs, turning them onto their sides to act as some sort of protection. Hiding behind these Peter calls out over the sound of the gunship's engines "Do you have a weapon on you!?"

"Of course I do" Rocket yells back, "but nothing that can take down a ship that heavily armed!"

A voice comes booming out of the ship's speakers, "Peter Quill, this is Rhomann Dey of the Nova Core. We mean you no harm, we just need to ask you some questions."

Peeking out over the edge of his upturned chair Peter is surprised to see that instead of facing the front, and heavily armed part of the gunship, it's back is to them, cargo bay door opened. And there indeed stands Dey, audio receiver in his hand, waiting for Peter's answer.

"Dey!" Peter yells, standing up from behind his cover, "if you wanted to talk you could always just call!"

"Not this time" says Dey seriously, "we need to know where Gamora is, can you tell us that?"

Confused, Peter looks down at the still crouching Rocket who shrugs his shoulders at the question. Looking back to Dey, Peter yells "We don't know where she is, in fact, we haven't seen her since last night."

Peter can see Dey cursing before he returns the receiver to his mouth, saying "that's not good Peter, I need you and the rest of your team to come with me."

"Come with you? Where?"

"To headquarters, Nova Prime has been shot!"

* * *

The video plays for the third time, the unbelievable images cycling back to the beginning once more. Nova Prime steps out of a door onto the roof of the legislative building flanked by several armed security guards, including a recently promoted Rhomann Dey, and chats animatedly with another official. She pauses in front of a waiting hovercar, the roof of the building being mostly taken up with hoverpads for quick transportation, and takes a moment to shake the other official's hand. Suddenly a great gush of blood explodes from her left shoulder, nearly separating her arm from her body in one instant as she collapses to the ground in supreme agony. The now blood spattered official only has a moment to look stunned before he is pushed to the side by the swarming Nova Core officers, including Dey, who calls frantically into his communicator while the rest surround Nova Prime still writhing on the ground. The video then cuts to another camera, the roof of a high-rise apartment building, at least a mile away, but with an excellent view of the legislature's roof. The time code in the lower left of the video shows that it is several minutes previous and nothing seems to be happening for the first few moments. But then a hooded figure, face obscured in shadow with a large satchel bag on their back, comes through the door and calmly walks over to the edge of the roof. Setting down the satchel bag and opening it the person removes several pieces of a large anti-material rifle, and with skillful hands, proceeds to assemble it. Extending the tripod legs of the now completed rifle, an impressive four feet in length, the person lays down and aims the rifle towards the legislature. Keeping an eye down the scope, but the finger notably off the trigger, the sniper waits in stillness for at least a minute before suddenly tensing up. Finger now resting on the trigger a few more moments pass as the sniper tracks the target with the rifle before coming to a sudden stop. The report of the rifle is tremendous, spurting flame out of the barrel and sending spider cracks down the several windows nearest the roof while the recoil pushes the shooter several inches and throws back the hood that had been obscuring their face. Red tipped hair, green skin, it had caused Peter to yell in surprise when he had first seen it because it was definitely her, Gamora. But now, seeing it for the third time only pushes the pit of dread further into his gut. She, with the same professional calm, disassembles the rifle and stows it back into the satchel bag before standing and, resetting the hood to shade her face, exits through the same door she entered from. The video goes black for a moment before resetting at the beginning, but Peter speaks before it can start again.

"Alright Dey, I don't want to see it a forth time."

Dey obliges, stepping over to the console that had been displaying the video and presses a button to stop it from playing a fourth time.

"Is she… is Nova Prime going to make it?" asks Peter, not sure what else to say.

Dey sighs, "the bleeding was stanched fast so we think she'll survive, but she may lose the arm. It was… bad, really bad. She went into emergency surgery right before we went to pick you up so we'll know in a few hours. But I have hope, it's all I really have at the moment." Dey turns back towards where the frozen video of Nova Prime stepping out of the door is still displayed and stares at it like it may give him some answers. Peter meanwhile takes this moment to observe his team spread around the room. Mantis sits in a chair with her hands joined in a familiar pose but her large black eyes are wet, threatening tears. Kraglin sits beside her, hands busy fiddling with a cloth napkin apparently intended for Mantis, but his gaze is elsewhere, staring out the large window the room they are currently housed in has. Drax stands stock still in the center of the room, eyes jumping between the four armed guards currently standing by the door, and Dey. Noticing his gaze Drax looks him in the eye and Peter can see the determination in them, but also the waywardness, not knowing where to turn, which enemy to strike against. Groot stands against the window, apparently stoic, but betraying his nervousness by occasionally nibbling on small twigs extruding from his shoulders. Peter lastly looks at Rocket, who has his eyes still fixed on the same display currently occupying Dey's attention, a look of intense concentration on his face. Dey finally breaks the silence, turning away from the stilled video he says "That was three hours ago, we've had an identity on the shooter for two." "Peter" he says, drawing his attention, "right now orders are to apprehend her alive but to shoot to kill if that's not possible. All transportation off the planet, even out of the city, has been grounded since a few minutes after the shooting. We haven't found her yet but every available officer is out there looking for her, scouring every square inch, it's only a matter of time. So Peter, please, if you know where she is, tell me right now."

Peter stands stock still, not making eye contact with anyone, his mind still reeling with a thousand possibilities. When he had first seen Gamora make the shot and his heart had leapt into his throat the horrible possibility that maybe the last year had all been some kind of long cover operation for Thanos had passed before his mind like a bad dream. But that was even crazier than what was happening now. He knew her, all that was said… and unsaid. This, there had to be an explanation, no matter how insane there had to be one. His mind kept on mulling over the past few days, wondering if there was anything he might have missed. He hadn't seen her for most of yesterday, a mistake in which he was more and more angry with himself every minute, but everything had seemed to be alright last night, better than alright even. But now she's on the run, being hunted by the entire Nova Core for the attempted assassination of a head of state. It didn't seem possible but reality showed otherwise. And now, it was his duty to bring her in. Alive or…

With sudden conviction Peter turns to Dey and says "We need to be the ones who capture her, I know how bad this looks but there has to be some kind of explanation. She might talk to us, I doubt she'd surrender to anyone else."

"You didn't answer my question" says Dey, staring intently at Peter, "do you know where she is, or where she might have gone?"

Peter turns away to look as his teammates, asking the question with his eyes. All of them look at him with open expressions, they do not know where she is any more than him. Rocket, however, continues to look at the display, the same concentrated expression on his face. Sensing Peter's gaze he says "no, I don't know where she is. But there's something about this that isn't adding up."

"Understatement of the year" says Peter testily, "was it the attempted assassination or the fugitive part that got to you."

"That's not what I mean you idiot" retorts Rocket, finally looking at Peter, "it's that she **missed** the shot."

A stunned silence falls over the room for just a moment before an advancing Dey practically yells "You take that back you son of a-"

"-That's also not what I mean, jeez you people need to think with your heads. This is just as crazy for me as it is for all of you" he says, gesturing to the room, "but you all are missing something important. Gamora, our Gamora, possibly one of the most skilled combatants in the galaxy, with years of training and who knows how many covert missions under her belt takes a shot from that good of a vantage point, with that powerful of a rifle, with little or no wind… and she misses!? Not only that but she doesn't even bother to take a second shot, just packs up the rifle and leaves?"

"So what" says Dey, still visibly angry, "we should be glad that she's incompetent!?"

"No, I'm telling you to think dam it! Someone as skilled as Gamora wouldn't have missed that shot."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because **I wouldn't have**!" snaps Rocket, "and I'm only half the shot she is. Look… it still doesn't make any sense, none of it does, but if Gamora wanted to kill Nova Prime she would have. Something about this feels deliberate, like she meant to wound not kill. That's all I'm saying."

Kraglin speaks up from the back of the room "I was thinking about this earlier but I didn't realize what it may mean until I heard what Rocket said. The camera, I'm guessing from the information in the timestamp is a pretty standard model, as most of the cameras around her would have been. A simple overload pulse could wipe out their imaging sensors, make em blind and such. The ravagers do it all the time when we want to go unseen on civilized worlds. But not on any Nova worlds, definitely not" he adds, after a hard stare from Dey. "I'm just saying it makes sense with what Rocket is thinking, someone like her wouldn't overlook something as basic as that."

"Also" says Drax, brow furrowed in thought, "the hood shadowing her face was blow away by the recoil of the rifle. If Gamora didn't want to be seen she would have worn a mask, or destroyed the cameras like Kraglin suggested."

Dey rubs his eyes, "it's very interesting, and I would love to ask her all about this, but we're no closer to finding her. So, unless any of you can help with that, we haven't gotten anywhere."

"Let us go out there, we can find her!" implores Peter.

"Oh, I believe you can. But it's not my decision to make, it's his."

"Whose decision- "

Peter is cut off by the sudden entrance of a distressed looking older man dressed in a tight-fitting suit, still partly spattered in blood. The guards and Dey quickly salute him but he waves them away with a quick flick of the wrist, his attention fixed squarely on Peter. Storming over and standing within a foot of Peter he jabs a finger into his chest angrily. Drax takes a step towards them as if to defend him but is stopped by a sharp glance from Peter, telling him wordlessly to not get involved.

"You" says the man, jabbing his finger repeatedly into Peter's chest, "you are Peter Quill AKA 'Star Lord' are you not?"

"Yes" says Peter, taking a step back to try and get out of finger stabbing range "and you are?"

"Me!? Until this morning I was second in command of the Xandarian government, now I'm in charge of this entire operation! Hunting down a fugitive across the entire city, the public in a panic because of the security checkpoints, Nova Prime unconscious undergoing surgery, it's a hell of a mess! And you" he says, continuing to jab his finger into Peter's chest "I want to know where she is!"

"We don't know sir" says Peter, trying to take up a reconciliatory tone, "but if you will let us go out and look for her- "

"-Ridiculousness! I warned Nova Prime a year ago that associating with known criminals, no matter their temporary heroics, would be trouble in the long run. But did she listen to me, no! Now one of your 'team' tried to kill her and you're refusing to cooperate!"

"I know this looks bad but I don't think we know the whole picture yet."

"Looks bad" he snarls, pointing towards the frozen video still displayed "it looks worse than bad, I know because I was there! I'm on to you and your team, I just came from a briefing about some recent intel about the incident that killed OVER A THOUAND OF OUR CITIZENS a few weeks ago. I know you were involved, you and your whole wretched team, no matter what story you may have spun for Nova Prime I know you're guilty! If it wasn't for the testimony of Dey and other officials I would have had you locked up from the moment we brought you in this morning. Now that you claim to not know where she is, I'm starting to reconsider."

Drax, who had been quietly fuming until this moment, moves in-between the two of them and stares down the official. "Peter Quill is an honorable man and you will watch your tone when you are speaking to him!"

"Do not lecture me barbarian!" he shouts, giving an inglorious shove of Drax chest. Drax's eyes go wide and the room explodes into movement. Drax shoves the man in kind and sends him stumbling back several feet. All four guards raise their weapons and quickly advance towards Drax, who roars an ear-splitting battle cry. Groot hardens his arms into dense clubs and moves to protect Drax while Kraglin and Rocket both jump up from their seats, and pulling out concealed weapons, train them on the armed guards. Things are an instant from turning deadly before both Dey and Peter jump in-between the developing melee.

"ALRIGHT" yells Peter "let's call this rock bottom. Everyone lower your weapons and let's take a few steps back; that alright with you Dey?"

"Good plan" says Dey, turning to look at the official he asks "sir?"

He, still fuming, considers for a moment before waving a hand for the guards to return to their posts by the door. Peter then turns to Kraglin and Rocket and after a second's hesitation both lower their weapons but remain standing, hands at the ready. Groot normalizes his arms but remains standing defensively as well. Finally, Peter turns to look at Drax who is still staring angrily at the official who shoved him. "Drax, I need you to calm down. We all want, need, to find Gamora but nothing is going to be accomplished by getting into a fight right now." Drax finally breaks his gaze away and looks at Peter, saying "he should not talk to you in that way. But I am sorry for jeopardizing our mission." "No apology necessary big guy" says Peter, clasping a hand on his shoulder, "I am glad to know you have my back though." "Always" says Drax, returning the gesture with a nod before walking slowly back to his original position, followed by Groot, never taking his eyes off the guards posted at the door.

"This is how I see it" says Peter, addressing Dey and the official "our friend is a fugitive from the law and needs to be brought in… _alive_." The official scoffs at this pronouncement but Dey remains thoughtful, Peter continues "I'm not denying the evidence, I've seen it enough times to know it's pretty overwhelming, but so far no one has died and Gamora has not hurt anyone else. Is that correct?" The official makes no recognition but Dey nods in silent agreement. "Then there is no reason for a shoot to kill order to be out for her, or at least there's no need for it to be enforced. Let us go out and find her, talk her down from whatever she's doing, it'll save lives, I know it."

"Your 'friend' is a wanted fugitive, either she will surrender or **be cut down**!"

Finally, Peter's patience snaps as he marches right up into the official's personal space and leans in close. The guards raise their weapons hesitatingly and his team tenses behind him but his anger keeps him from noticing this as all of his attention in directed right now at the suddenly apprehensive official. "I don't like debts" he says, in his most menacing voice, "they're messy and are usually just trouble. But this whole planet owes my team, my family, a debt for what happened with the Dark Aster last year and I am collecting. For not only has someone I respect deeply nearly been killed this morning, but one of my family is seemingly responsible. Now… you are going to let me and my family bring in one of our own because I am not going to let Gamora die by your hand. If you can't do this, you can try and stop us. But if Gamora is ready to fight, you won't take her alive, and then you'll have to deal with all of us, **with me**."

Peter slowly leans back and returns to where he was standing before, heart pounding in his chest. For a while no one speaks, the air thick with anticipation. Then, seemingly breaking from his rumination, the official beckons over Dey and whispers in his ear. He then turns to Peter and says coldly, "we need to discuss something outside of this room for a moment, please excuse us." Peter is too surprised to give a response before they both leave, shutting the door behind them.

"Hey Captain" says Kraglin, drawing everyone's attention, "next time let's go for vacation somewhere other than Xandar. It just seems to cause problems."

Peter, for the first time in a while, lets out a laugh "good point, I'll keep that in mind." Then, as if a switch had been flipped, all the energy goes out of Peter's legs and he collapses down into a chair. The laughter turning into a few dry sobs, quickly stymied. "What the hell is happening… I mean seriously, what the shit! I was planning on going to a stupid dancing studio today with Gamora, now… well you all heard what I just said. It just doesn't seem real, I keep thinking I'll wake up back on that stupid penthouse balcony, but here we all still are."

"I **am** Groot!"

"Thanks Groot, I'll try and remember that."

"WAIT!" exclaims Rocket, "you were going to take her to a dance studio?"

"Yes, I was, and it's not funny Rocket!"

"It's a little funny" murmurs Rocket, trying to stifle a laugh behind his hands.

"What's going to happen to us Peter?" asks Mantis, speaking for the first time since they had all seen the video.

Silent for a moment, Peter finally decides on the honest answer, saying "I don't know. But we are going after Gamora no matter what."

"I'm all for the plan" says Kraglin, "but that guy thinks we're all guilty, I don't think he's going to let us go."

"Then why don't we leave right now!" exclaims Drax, "we outnumber the guards in this room and no one can match our prowess."

"Only one of us is a fugitive right now and I'd rather keep it that way. Besides, we're miles from our ship and in the middle of a city already on lockdown. We're good but we're not bulletproof."

Drax sighs "those are all valid Peter, but it doesn't feel right, waiting here and doing nothing."

"I don't like it either, but I have hope what I said may have done something. If not, we'll improvise, we're pretty good at that."

Peter turns to Rocket and considers his question for a moment before asking "any ideas on who would want Nova Prime dead?"

Rocket scoffs "the head of the Xandarian Government? You could probably fill a book with the names of people who would want her dead. But you're asking the wrong question again, the real mystery is who would want her wounded?"

"How can you be sure about that?"

"I've already told you! Gamora is too good to mess up assassination like that, leaving that many loose ends, it's just not what a professional would do."

Peter doesn't have an answer for that and is about to turn away before the Rocket puts his hand on his arm, stopping him.

Not looking him in the eye Rocket says in a surprisingly quite voice "Quill… I could be wrong. Maybe she just missed, maybe I'm overthinking this, maybe she really has gone rogue. Are you prepared to do what is necessary if she tries to kill someone, one of us?"

"Are you?" asks Peter.

"I don't know... I don't want to lose another friend."

"We're not going to lose her."

"You can't guarantee that!" snaps Rocket angrily.

"No, I can't. All we can do is our best."

"Humph, 'do our best', such a stupid expression. But it'll have to do."

"'It'll have to do' is pretty stupid too."

Rocket gives Peter a sidelong glance before laughing loudly. "You know what, it is! We're just a couple of idiots aren't we!"

"You got that right" says Peter, now laughing along.

"What's so funny?" asks Mantis from across the room, a small smile now on her face.

An answer to her question and Peter and Rocket's laughter is cut short as Dey and the official reenter the room. The official waves a hand for the guards to be dismissed, and after a moment of confused hesitation they do so, closing the door. A tension filled moment passes before the official sighs loudly and says "I was very rude to all of you earlier and for that I apologize. It is true what Mr. Quill says, this government and people do owe you all a debt and I was too quick to dismiss it. Today has been a trying day for me, and I imagine for all of you as well. So, I am willing to make this offer, you can go after Gamora, try to bring her in alive, under these three conditions. First, you must be accompanied by an observer of this government, Dey has volunteered for this position if you'll have him. Secondly, if you fail to capture her or she escapes the planet you must turn yourselves over into our custody, any attempt to flee the planet with her will be met with deadly force. And thirdly, if she does try to escape in a ship it will be shot down with lethal force, she cannot be allowed to leave the planet. Do you agree to these conditions Guardians of the Galaxy?"

All look to Peter, who in turn looks to all of them and receives determined nods of approval. Peter stands up from his chair and raises an outstretched arm to shake his hand, promptly lowering it when he only stares at it confused. "Right, I keep forgetting that's not a custom here on Xandar. Anyways, we have a deal."

"Good, then we can arrange transport to whatever location you wish to begin looking. We can't let you use an interstellar ship like your own of course, but there are several available military hovercrafts that should work nicely. Be ready to embark in five minutes."

He exits with Dey in tow, leaving the Guardians alone.

"I _am_ Groot?"

"No, I don't know where she is Groot" says Peter, standing up straight and affixing them with a confident stare. "But I do have a good idea where she might be headed…."

"Where?" Asks Drax after a long pause.

"Oh, you'll find out…."

"Why don't you just tell us" asks Kraglin after an even longer pause.

"Fine," sighs Peter, "I was going to wait until we were already on our way but if you're all in such a hurry we're going to-"

* * *

It had been three hours since Peter had stood up from his crouched position and his legs were beginning to ache under the strain. Hiding behind the low wall of the building's roof he had been keeping a vigil on the street below looking for any sign of her, but so far, she hadn't shown. When he had explained his plan to the rest there was plenty of skepticism to go around, which was why he had wanted to wait until they all could see the location for themselves, but now they were all in position looking out for the same thing he was. Gamora would show, he just knew it.

"Any sign of her?" asks Dey, who is leaning against the low wall next to Peter.

"None yet" answers Peter, keeping his eyes fixed on the street below.

"How can you be sure she'll be here? I know you think you're sure, but how?"

Peter gestures for Dey to join him in his crouching position, which he reluctantly does, his knees not holding up as well under the burden. Peter points to a large warehouse building a few hundred meters away, "that's where she'll go, it's the only place in the city that makes any sense."

Dey pinches the bridge of his nose, saying "I know what you said, that's it's a smuggling port containing ships capable of interstellar flight, but there is nothing in our records detailing it as that. From here, it just looks like an old warehouse."

"That's the genius of it, they move their location every few weeks to avoid detection by the authorities. All they have to do is buy another unremarkable warehouse on the outskirts of the city whenever the Nova Core is close to sniffing them out. And get this, the roof is a holo-image, they remove the real one during their first day in a new location and then replace it when they move. The departing ships leave during the night and stay low to avoid detection until they're out over the open ocean. Same thing for returning ships too. It's the only place in the city where an unlicensed interstellar ship can be found, so she'll be here, seeing as all other interstellar ships are grounded at the moment.

"Huh, that actually really smart."

"Thanks, I have my moments."

"No, I mean the smuggling operation. No wonder they've avoided detection for so long."

"Oh, them… yeah we were thinking the same thing."

After an awkward pause Dey asks "why didn't you tell us about this place until we were here?"

"Well first off, they've moved dozens of times since I last used their port so I honestly didn't know where they were until I called up an old contact on that phone you lent me. He owed me ever since I helped him break out of… well anyways he uses this place frequently so I knew he'd know their location. He's going to be so pissed when he finds out I led the Nova Core here, guess I owe **him** now.

"You realize that call was monitored, right?"

"What! You bugged my phone!?"

"No, you called him on **my** work cell. All calls on that number are recorded in case anything said during them is needed as evidence. Look, I still have his phone number saved in my recently called."

Pulling out his phone with the offending number highlighted, Peter lets out a beleaguered sigh, "Wow, now he is going to be _really_ pissed at me, guess I owe him twice now."

"Relax, I have bigger things to deal with right now then a small-time escaped criminal-"

"-allegedly escaped-"

"-Right, a small time 'allegedly escaped' criminal. How are you going to stop her from getting to the warehouse?"

"I've got my best people on the lookout" says Peter, activating his earpiece "anything going on down there Mantis?"

"My antennae are really uncomfortable and this jacket I'm wearing is making me really warm, but no sign of Gamora yet."

"Sorry about the antenna thing Mantis but having them sticking out of your hood would have been a dead giveaway and the only thing we had available was tape. Just hang in there and keep your eyes open. Drax, Kraglin, anything?"

"This shirt is very uncomfortable Peter, why must I wear it?"

"Because Drax, your tattoos are too obvious... and awesome and unique, she'd see you before we would have a chance."

"Very well. I have not seen her but I have maintained a vigil on this corner for the past hour."

"Good effort man, but do try and blend in a little. Kraglin, what you got?"

The muffled sound of chewing is all that answers Peter's question.

"Dude are you eating right now, that is not a good plan."

"I am eating, but I am also sitting outside with a perfect line of sight down the only approaching street to the warehouse. Maintaining a good cover while keeping sightlines."

"Dam, never mind, that is an excellent plan, keep at it."

"I **am** Groot."

"Good point Groot, why do both of us have to be sidelined?"

"You stick out even among a crowd of aliens Rocket, it's not personal but we need to stay out of sight for a long as possible. And since you reacted so poorly to my idea of dressing you up as a child, we have no other options than to keep you out of sight on the adjacent rooftop to mine until Gamora is sighted."

"You wanted to put me in kiddie clothes and have Drax hold my hand like I was some kind of stupid thing, it absolutely was insulting. And stop snickering Groot, you were pretty pissed at his idea to dress you up as some lifeless tree."

"The both of you just stay put and stay out of sight! We don't need Gamora seeing you and bolting before we have a chance to apprehend her."

"Yeah, I've got the plan idiot, just stay here with our heads in-between our asses until the shooting starts. No Groot, it's a figure of speech, don't literally do it."

"There won't be any shooting, not if my shock charge finds its mark. Everyone just keep on the lookout, we aren't going to get a second chance at this."

Peter deactivates his earpiece and continues his lookout over the street below. Mulling about the several disparate shops below people keep on their business unhurried and unaware of the people watching over them, looking for any sign of their wayward colleague.

"Quite a team you've got" says Dey, who has returned to his sitting position against the roof's wall.

"Yeah, they sure are something else. Don't know where I'd be without them."

"I was implying they were distracted."

"Oh, _once again_ we were thinking the same thing. But they'll be ready when the time comes, they always are."

"No doubt, you already saved my wife and child once, when the Dark Aster attacked the city. I have confidence, well, some confidence that you'll prevail."

"What did that angry guy, the official, say to you when you both left the room earlier?"

"He asked me if I believed you would honestly try and capture her if given the chance, and if I thought your team was the best shot we had."

"What was your answer?"

"Yes, to both. He also wanted to know if you would retaliate if Gamora was killed by an apprehension attempt by the Nova Core, I answered yes to that too. You shouldn't be so hard on him though Peter, he lost a good friend during the incident a few weeks ago and I think today nearly pushed him over the edge."

Peter doesn't answer, instead keeping his eyes fixed on the street and speaking into his earpiece he says "hey I've got someone wearing a hood approaching my position right now, staying in the middle of the street, head lowered, about thirty feet from you Kraglin."

"I can't see the face, but the height is right. Do you want me to do something?"

"No, stay where you are for the moment. Drax or Mantis do you see who I'm talking about?"

"I see who you're talking about, dark black jacket, can't see their face though" answers Drax.

"I also cannot tell who it is" says Mantis.

"Do you see her?" asks Dey breathlessly.

"I don't know, the figure is right but no one can see the face. If we blow our cover on the wrong person and she's around it'll definitely make her bolt." Cursing repeatedly Peter activates his earpiece again, saying "Dammit, I'm going to deploy our secret weapon everyone, get ready to move if she reveals herself!"

"Secret weapon?" asks Dey.

Pulling out his Zune and selecting a prechosen song Peter says "she's listened to this a lot by herself, probably didn't think I'd notice but I think it's her favorite." A wistful smile passes upon his face before quickly fleeing, "although she'd never admit it was. But if that's her down there, this'll get her attention."

Plugging the Zune into a device Rocket had quickly manufactured he calls into his earpiece "I'm about to press play, Rocket, are you sure this device will tap into the PA systems down on the street?"

"Sure I'm sure" answers Rocket confidently, "press play and every public address speaker for at least a mile will pick up the signal and rebroadcast it!"

"Alright that sounds good to me, everyone get ready and remember the plan we agreed on! I'm pressing play on the count of three…"

"One"

Everyone on the street below continues their daily business, unaware of the looming countdown.

"Two"

All of the Guardians tense up, preparing to launch into action. The hooded individual continues their slow methodical pace.

"Three!"

 **Awesome Mix Vol 3:** The Four Tops – Bernadette

The opening bars of the song echo across the street as all of the people look up in confusion as if to determine where the strange melody is coming from. The hooded figure, who had been stopped dead ever since the first note had played, now has their head cocked as if listening to the music.

"Come on, I know it's you… do something!"

Peter's plea is quickly answered as in that moment the individual breaks out in a full out sprint for the warehouse building less than a hundred meters away. With this quick burst of speed their hood flies away, revealing red tipped hair and green skin.

"IT'S HER!" cries Peter, jumping up onto the ledge of the building's roof, "EVERYONE MOVE!"

Peter leaps off the building's roof, drawing a startled yell from Dey, but is quickly righted by the activation of his rocket boots, sending him hurtling towards Gamora. The citizens who had been puzzled by the music now run in terror, some recognizing the face of Gamora from public service flyers, others simply afraid of the man now rocketing over their heads. Peter pays this no mind, instead detaching the shock charge that had been hooked to his belt and, activating it with his thumb, hurls it towards Gamora who is now less than fifty meters from the warehouse. Whether by providence or just sheer dumb luck it impacts her square in the back, sending her tumbling to the ground with electricity visibly coursing out of her body. Peter is about to overshoot her so, thinking quickly, he deactivates his boots sending him into a slide along the ground, but before he can stop himself fully he crashes into Gamora's prone form. Coming to rest laying over her inert body he's still too shaken up over the hard slide to notice for a moment. But as his senses return, and fearing the worst because of her still form, he quickly turns Gamora face up to make sure she is still breathing.

Her eyes catch him off guard.

Her pupils are large and dilated, as if she were staring into the blackest of nights, even though it cannot be more than midday outside. The eyes themselves roam back and forth in their sockets as if not seeing the images in front of her face, as if they don't see his face. Peter lets out a quiet "Gamora," unable to tear his gaze away from those meandering eyes. With shocking quickness, the pupils shrink and the eyes fix themselves on Peter's, drawing a startled gasp from the man.

"I knew you'd be here, play that song, come after me" Gamora whispers, her voice apparently hoarse from disuse.

Any kind of witty comeback dies on Peter lips as he sees her eyes start to wander aimlessly as before, pupils dilating. "Then why did you come here?" asks Peter, the only thing his mind can come up with.

Her eyes snap back to his, new determination in them. "Wasn't me, not since this morning. Something's in my mind, I can already feel it crawling back, like the inky black shadows I used to see in my dreams."

Her eyes begin to close, a grimace of pain appearing on her face.

"Gamora, what's happening!? You need to tell me something!" implores Peter, practically yelling.

With a gasp, as if surfacing from a great depth, Gamora locks eyes with Peter once again and says, through clenched teeth, "You must find the second shooter Peter, **the second shooter!** "

"What does that mean? I don't understand!" But Peter doesn't get an answer to his question as whatever power seems to have a hold over Gamora suddenly regains dominance and with one fluid movement her legs rise up, plant themselves squarely in Peter's chest, and send him flying off his knees into the window of a garden shop several meters from where they fell. Several of the Guardians, who without the aid of any kind of boosters had fallen behind Peter, finally catch up and are met by a now standing Gamora. Seeing what she had done to Peter, Drax wastes no time in trying to incapacitate her, but his take-down move is excellently parried by Gamora leaping over his head and landing less a few feet from the next arriving Guardian, Mantis. Her glove removed, Mantis attempts to make contact with Gamora, having the intention of putting her to sleep, but Gamora dodges her grasp and instead grabs her clothed forearm with both hands, and with one swift motion, snaps it. Mantis goes to the ground in a howl of pain while Drax, yelling surprise of his own, rushes to her side, the battle completely forgotten. Kraglin, seeing this, stops several meters short and pulls out a pistol, firing several concussive shots. Gamora rolls under one of these and then leaps over the next two, landing with a spinning kick that knocks the gun out of Kraglin's hand. Kraglin braces for a hand to hand fight but is quickly grappled and thrown to the ground. Gamora then removes two electronic devices from her waist and holds one in each hand having seen the speeding projectiles fired from Rocket's gun, who is still running up the street towards her with Groot at his side. A beam of energy lances out from Gamora's handheld devices, ensnaring both projectiles in a field of energy, and with a flick of her wrist, she redirects them. One impacts Kraglin, who had just returned to his feet, and sends him sprawling to the ground again in a halo of electric energy. The second strikes Rocket in the chest, knocking him on his back with a shout of pain. Groot quickly extends vines from both his arms towards Gamora, hoping to wrap her up, but she quickly removes another device from her belt and hurls it at the quickly approaching branches. A sudden swath of frozen material explodes from her thrown grenade, freezing all of Groot's vines into place on the ground, rendering them immobile. Gamora turns away, and without another look at her stricken comrades sprints up to the warehouse door and kicking it open, enters.

Rocket is the first to recover, dragging himself up to his feet and retrieving his fallen gun, he runs after her but stops short when a small one-person ship blasts off through the holographic roof. Raising his gun and aiming down the sights he whispers a quiet apology and prepares to shoot down her ship.

"Wait Rocket, don't shoot!" comes Peter voice, the man himself trying to free his clothing from the window he was kicked through, several large gashes apparent on his face and forearms.

"She's my friend too" says Rocket, not taking his eyes off her quickly retreating ship, "but you saw what she did. Nearly killed you, attacked the rest of us, and I'm pretty sure she broke Mantis's arm. She's gone rogue Peter, I don't know why but she has!"

"I know why!" yells Peter, finally managing to extract himself from the window.

Rocket takes his eyes off Gamora's ship and stares down Peter.

"Something's controlling her. I talked to her for a few moments after my stun charge hit home, she was lucid, weird and in pain but it was her Rocket! She's not herself, I'd bet my life on it!"

Rocket looks back down his gun's sight, he only has a few more moments before she'll be out of range and his finger hesitates over the trigger for what seems like an eon for Peter. But finally, and with a long sigh, he lowers his rifle and lets his shoulders hang.

"Then we'd better go check on Mantis, it looks pretty bad."

Peter, Rocket, and the rest of the Guardians regroup around Mantis who is sitting on the ground cradling her limp wrist with her other hand while Drax kneels nearby trying to comfort her.

"I'm… so sorry Mantis."

"It's alright Peter," chokes out Mantis through gritted teeth "I should have stuck with the plan and stayed out of the way. I thought that maybe I could-" Her sentence is cut off by a loud wail as she attempts to stand up, inadvertently moving her broken forearm.

"Please stay seated friend" implores Drax, guiding her back down to the ground "your bravery is to be commended but right now you must remain still."

"Ok" comes the beleaguered reply of Mantis.

"Quill, we've got problems" says Rocket hurriedly.

"I know that."

"No, new ones."

Everyone follows Rocket's outstretched hand towards the retreating form of Gamora's ship, two white contrails appear to be following it.

"Oh shit, are those-"

"-Xandarian fighters, yep."

"I _am_ Groot?"

"No, they won't have any non-lethal weapons, and even if they did they won't use them. The orders are to shoot to kill."

Rhomann Dey finally arrives at their position, thoroughly out of breath after having ran the distance to their current location. "What's happened, did she escape?"

"Yes she did" answers Peter hurriedly, "but right now I need you to call the fighters off that are about to shoot her down!"

"I don't know if I can do that, she's a wanted fugitive-"

"-Dey, it's not her. Someone has control of her mind and is using her I know it! If we can't get those fighters off her she'll be blown out of the sky, you've got to help me!"

Dey hesitates.

"Please Dey, I'm begging you!"

Finally, Dey acquiesces, "I'll do what I can, but I can't guarantee anything. If you've got something you can do, now would be the time."

He pulls out his phone and begins to make a call while Peter spins around, trying to find something he can do. Like a bolt of lightning the idea pops into his head, "Rocket, can you modify what we used to play the song through the PA system earlier into a way for me to contact those fighters?"

"Not really" answers Rocket to a crestfallen Peter, "but I can have it emit a general frequency that will active all public speakers in the city, maybe someone important will be listening."

"Do it" says Peter, as without delay Rocket reaches out and removes the transmitter from his belt. "Tell me when you're ready."

"No shit, just let me work without any more questions."

"You got it" says Peter, for once ignoring Rocket's snide remark.

Kraglin walks up to Peter, who is watching Gamora's ship intensely, and says "Captin' I like her, and I'm all for calling off those ships, but how can you be sure someone's controlling her?"

Peter answers, not moving his eyes, "I talked to her for a few moments before she kicked me through that window, maybe I could be wrong Kraglin, but I've seen her eyes! No amount of acting could hide what I saw in them, she was fighting for control, fighting to talk! I know it's not her, now I have to try and convince them."

"Done!" says Rocket, tossing the transmitter back to Peter, "you better make it good."

"Anything's possible" says Peter as he switches the device on, and speaking with as much authority and confidence as he can muster, he says "this is Peter Jason Quill, leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Right now a member of my team, Gamora, is flying a ship being pursued by two of your fighters with orders to shoot her down. She is being controlled by an outside force, I don't know who, but she's not in control of her actions; someone or something has control of her mind and is making her do the things she has done today. We were here for you when the Dark Aster attacked last year and we will always be here to protect those who cannot fight the evils of the galaxy themselves. I am asking you for mercy, please, whoever is listening who can stop this. I stake my life, for her life. _Please_ … don't kill her."

Peter's echoing voice silences as he finishing talking, all of the Guardians watching Gamora's retreating ship tensely. Suddenly, one of the fighters pursuing her fires several shots towards her ship and Peter's heart sinks, thinking this is it. But when the shots pass harmlessly in front of her bow, he breaths a sharp sigh of relief.

"They're going to shoot her down!" says Drax furiously.

"Those are warning shots, they're trying to get her to turn around" answers Rocket.

Peter turns back on the transmitter and pleads "to anyone who is listing that can stop this, Gamora is not in control of what she is doing! _PLEASE_ don't shoot down her ship!"

Everything hangs upon a knifes edge as the Guardians stare at their comrade's ship and her pursing fighters, waiting with baited breath as at any second they may open fire and send her plummeting to the ground. Then, without warning, the two fighters break off their pursuit and turn around, letting Gamora's ship flee off the planet.

"Yes, YES" cries Peter, nearly jumping for joy, "they're not going to shoot her down! Dey, did you do that!?"

"No, it wasn't me" says Dey, hanging up his phone with a faint smile on his lips, "Nova Prime just came out of surgery and called off the fighters. I think she must have heard your message."

Rocket yells "That glorious bitch-, I mean, that glorious woman. Remind me never to call her stuck up again".

"It's not all good" says Dey, "she wants to see all of you immediately, and my guess is she's going to be pretty pissed. They had to remove her arm during surgery."


End file.
